Newsletter

As Extension seeks to respond to the challenges of the 21st century, staff from University of Minnesota Extension's health and nutrition program area are embracing racial equity as a core focus of their systems change work. They believe that racial equity is an integral part of work across Extension services and that we must improve our capacity to serve Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community members. Consider, for example, how health and nutrition are connected to disparities in food access, agriculture is connected to disparities in land access, and access to youth programming is connected to disparities in graduation rates in BIPOC communities as compared to predominantly White communities (Hassel, 2004; Horst & Marion, 2018; Raja et al., 2008; Ratkos & Knollenberg, 2015). In Minnesota, this is especially significant, given the state's ranking as one of the worst in the nation in terms of racial inequality (McCann, 2020). Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Journal of Extension Jamie Bain Health and Nutrition Extension Educator Noelle Harden Health and Nutrition Extension Educator Stephanie Heim Associate Program Director Center for Family Development University of Minnesota Extension  

Every Leading Edge Dialogue (LED) held at the 2019 National Urban Extension explored innovative shifts in Extension’s vision of its future and its role in the communities it serves. While this workshop was not an official LED, the discussions that took place regarding Extension’s role (or future) in urban green infrastructure (UGI) as a programming area is a practical example of many of the points raised in the LEDs held during the conference. Follow this link to read the paper. Sourced from: Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research

Join the Ohio Food Policy Network (OFPN) and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for the 10th Annual Ohio Food Policy Summit and Ohio Local Food Council Workshop, which is being held virtually this November.  Ohio Food Policy Summit Monday, November 16, 1-4 p.m. E.T. • Keynote speaker Tom Philpott, author of Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It • Presentation of the OFPN draft policy framework and the opportunity to interact with the framework, setting the course of the OFPN policy agenda • Presentation of the OFPN Food Hero award Ohio Local Food Council Workshop Tuesday, November 17, 4-6 p.m. E.T. • This interactive workshop will prepare local food policy councils to operationalize their policy agendas • Topics addressed include how to work within the law, steps in campaign building and tools to move forward Follow this link to register. Follow this link to join the Ohio Food Policy Network   Sourced from OFPN

This month marks the second annual Urban October at the University of Chicago, a monthlong initiative that highlights policy leaders, public officials, and leading researchers from Chicago and around the world who are confronting the most profound challenges facing global cities. Such urban challenges have only increased in 2020. The basic infrastructure of global cities—including public transportation, densely populated office and residential districts, and overburdened public health systems—have made them especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wildfires in California have worsened air quality for millions of residents on the West Coast. A summer of public reckoning on racial justice and policing in major American cities has resulted in mass demonstrations in the streets. Meanwhile, climate change is expected to prompt population shifts in the United States and abroad, widening the gulf between the rich and the poor and accelerating urbanization. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: UChicago News