Breakout Sessions (TENTATIVE and subject to change)
session | title/description | presenter(s) | location |
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TBD |
The Color of Money This session offers a comprehensive overview of the various types of funding available to Cooperative Extension and how they differ in their purpose, allocation, and impact. We’ll discuss the following key funding sources: state and Federal allocations, research grants and gifts and other revenue. |
TBD | TBD |
TBD |
Stafflympics Extravaganza Join your staff colleagues for the Stafflympics Extravaganza, where camaraderie meets friendly competition! Spend an hour engaging in a variety of activities designed to foster teamwork and boost morale. There’s something for everyone to enjoy. This event promises a blend of mild competition and fun, making it the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow staff members. Let the games begin! |
Extension Administration Business Team | TBD |
TBD |
Constructive Conversations: Empowering Supervisors to Enhance Communication with Direct Reports Let’s delve into strategies to help supervisors foster more effective communication with their direct reports while ensuring compliance with HR rules and regulations. Participants will gain practical insights into creating an open, respectful, and compliant dialogue within their teams. |
Connie Callahan | TBD |
TBD |
Travel Trek: Boldly Going Into a New Travel System Embark on a journey through the cosmos of travel technology! We’ll discuss the latest updates and essential skills for navigating our new travel system. Whether you're a seasoned explorer or a fresh cadet in the world of travel, join us to discover how to efficiently book trips, manage expenses, and utilize blanket authorizations effectively. |
Edith Angulo, Anthony Bertero, Yessica Garate | TBD |
TBD |
The UArizona Climate Needs Assessment: A Story of Climate Hope, Collaboration, and What’s Next Members of the Climate Working Group will present the findings of the 2023 needs assessment survey of University of Arizona (UArizona) Cooperative Extension personnel regarding their interest and involvement in climate change-related programming. It provides information regarding existing collaborations, program reach, and training needs for capacity-building. Extension is uniquely positioned to lead climate adaptation and mitigation efforts across the southwest U.S. due to our existing relationships with diverse clientele and communities, our experience with cutting edge applied research, and our skills in seeking cooperation on complex environmental issues. Audience discussion will address recommendations and ideas about next steps. |
Alexandra Kosmider | TBD |
TBD |
Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Extension: Strategies for Facilitating Cross-Sector Partnerships in ANR, FCHS, Tribal Extension and 4-H In today's complex world, addressing multifaceted challenges demands interdisciplinary collaboration across academic program areas. This presentation aims to provide faculty and staff in Agriculture and Natural Resources; Family, Consumer and Health Sciences; Tribal Extension and 4-H with practical strategies to foster fruitful collaborations. By leveraging the diverse expertise and perspectives across these fields, participants can not only enhance the quality of scholarly works but also develop grant proposals that prioritize cross-sector solutions. Through a case study and interactive discussions, this session will empower attendees to navigate the intricacies of interdisciplinary collaboration, overcome potential barriers, and unlock the full potential of their collective efforts. Join us to discover how synergy between different program areas can drive innovation and catalyze impactful change in research, education, and outreach initiatives. |
Debbie Curley | TBD |
TBD |
Food Safety is for Everyone: Dos and Don'ts of Food Handling Community Events This fun, interactive and informative session presented by the Retail and Consumer Food Safety Working Group is for anyone that serves or offers food at community events. In Cooperative Extension we handle food often and protecting the health and safety of our community members is an essential part of our work. For example, food is served at meetings or classes, provided through food demonstrations or sampling events, or brought to volunteer or office potlucks. Our team food safety enthusiasts will highlight essential aspects of food safety for everyone in Cooperative Extension by reenacting real life examples of food safety gone wrong and provide tips for how to prevent these same mistakes in your community, work or home. Learn practical food safety tips through brief, engaging and often humorous demonstrations that highlight essential aspects of food safety, including proper sanitation, transportation, preparation, storage, and temperature control. Following each demonstration, participants will be given the opportunity point out what has gone wrong in each scenario and suggest how they can do better. This is an opportunity to show community members your commitment to food safety while you also learn how to conduct safe and successful events Following this session, participants will be able to identify proper steps for safely handling food during community events, and be able to identify what to avoid while handling or storing food for community events. Session participants will also receive resources and tools to conduct safe and informative programming. |
Hope Wilson and Team | TBD |
TBD |
Indigenous Resilience Center: Building trust based relationships to co-design environmental solutions in Indian Country The Indigenous Resilience Center (IRes) focuses Indigenous ways of knowing into co-designed environmental solutions and trains the next generation of community leaders. By using core values such as relationship, respect, reciprocity, and responsibility, IRes is able to forge pathways to meaning collaboration while elevating sovereignty and self-determination in its approach. Through community driven research and experience, our panel of faculty and staff will share wise practices in community building, engagement, and teaching in the nexus of food, energy, and water. We invite attendees to learn about IRes' work and new projects that are launching in the upcoming year. |
Daniel Sestiaga and Team | TBD |
TBD |
The Power of Play We've been led to believe that work and play don't mix. But that's not true! Creative play in the workplace adds benefits well beyond just having fun, such as re-energizing creativity, building trust amongst teammates, and establishing a renewed sense of purpose. Take a play break with this workshop and learn how you can add intentional play breaks in your workday. |
Lourdes Rodriguez | TBD |
TBD |
Visual Storytelling We all want to take better picture of people enjoying our programs. But how do you get the shot when all you have is your phone and a few minutes before you need to teach a lesson? It’s all about the basics. In this talk, Brad Poole will walk you through how to frame your shot, use light and engage with people so they feel comfortable and look natural in your photos so you have images that look great on promotional materials and draw people to your program. |
Brad Poole | TBD |
TBD |
Innovative Multi-disciplinary Extension Programs Collaborate to Improve Food Safety and IPM Outcomes in Tribal Communities The University of Arizona Tribal Extension Programs and Public Health IPM Program are engaged in ongoing collaborations to 1) identify specific food safety training priorities within tribal communities; 2) build the capacity of tribal growers and other stakeholders in Arizona to address food safety training priorities; 3) develop and implement culturally appropriate integrated food safety education and outreach programs to tribal communities in Arizona; and 4) advance food safety resilience of Native Nations. We promote a new approach – connecting food safety with integrated pest management (IPM) – to increase food safety capacity in tribal communities, enhance the acceptance of food safety practices, strengthen and expand existing networks and develop/mentor new educators/scientists as future leaders in tribal communities. Our novel approach will improve food safety outcomes and respectfully enhance resilience within underserved communities and can serve as a model for future outreach to tribal communities. Expected outcomes/impacts include: 1) improved awareness and knowledge of food safety practices and solutions to protect public health and reduce food-borne illnesses; 2) cultivated positive attitude toward adopting food safety practices, and 3) improved engagement with underserved stakeholder audiences challenged by food safety issues. |
Shujuan (Lucy) Li | TBD |
TBD |
Indigenizing 4-H: Lessons Learned about Tribal 4-H Programs When you think of “4-H” the most accept and successful formula is fostering relationships within a certified club surrounded by supportive volunteers to create an environment of belonging, leaning, and community. What do you do when those factors are not available? According to Farella et al. (2021), Arizona’s American Indian/ Alaska Native club (AI/AN) membership was at 151 youth, that made up 3.21% of the total state enrollment. This small representation is not only seen within Arizona, but across all states who service tribal communities. When you take a further step back and examine the relationships within 4-H and tribal communities, you can see there is little no research and outcomes of how the program has impacted tribal youth both positively and negatively. Barriers identified to 4-H participation are distance, facilities, financial, and lack of knowledge. From the research, it is apparent that a new approach is needed to entice tribal youth to participate. Within the Navajo Nation, we have found success within our own backyard by molding the 4-H program to fit our needs within the tribal community by embracing tribal language, history, and culture. Methods that have been utilized are hosting club meetings that recite the 4-H pledge in the Navajo language, roll call with acknowledgment of the clan system, and cultural awareness within project areas. As with much of the 4-H realm, we face a lack of volunteers, especially within communities on the Navajo Nation. To avert this issue we crated the Window Rock Community that is directly ran by extension professionals from the Window Rock Extension Office. We are exploring a new way to embrace the 4-H culture with some tribal flare and create positive impacts with educational learning as the priority. Arizona is home to 22 tribal nations; we should have a greater impact of more than 3.21%. |
Kristy Kinlicheenie | TBD |
TBD |
Creating a “Win-Win”: Impacts on Ag Workforce Development through the AWDP Apprenticeship Opportunity Presenters: AWDP Program Manager, Maritza J Broce with AWDP Host Producer John Benedict, Owner of Desert Sky Produce and CEO of The Local Co-op Arizona’s Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AZ AWDP) is a statewide Extension program created following years of advocacy and research demonstrating that ag apprenticeships are effective for hands-on skill building and creating career pathways. The Arizona State Legislature allocated program funding for an agricultural apprenticeship program and AWDP was launched in the summer of 2022 to support individuals aspiring to become the next generation of farmers and ranchers. AWDP is now approaching a full two years of impacting and growing our Arizona agricultural workforce. Almost 100 apprentices have completed or are actively pursuing their apprenticeships. AWDP has partnered with 45 agricultural producers to host qualified apprentices and provide each apprentice with a meaningful work experience on their farm or ranch. After a brief introduction of the program basics, this session will provide participants with the challenges of implementing a statewide ag apprenticeship program that focuses on rural, tribal, and socially disadvantaged farmers/ranchers (per USDA definition). Program participant stories will also be shared along with the direct perspective of a host farmer in Cochise County experienced with becoming a host and mentoring two apprentices. Insights on how to ensure that program participants reflect the cultural diversity of all Arizonans will be explored. Apprenticeship highlights will include post apprenticeship job continuity, food safety improvements implemented in Coconino County, and increased farm production and cash flow for agricultural hosts. Lastly, the role of community partnerships and advocacy networks will be examined. |
Maritza Broce and Team | TBD |
TBD |
Using Art for Self-Care Art therapy uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health. With everything going on in the world and our busy schedules creativity can be a wonderful way to support your mental health. In this session I will explain the benefits of the creative process to relieve stress and anxiety that comes from daily life challenges. There is no need for any artistic training to use art as a form of self-care. The focus is the process of creating and expressing feelings and not on the aesthetic of the artwork. This session will include hands-on activities to explore emotional needs and express self which will include the use of color. Color psychology helps us understand how color affects our mood and behaviors and helps us express ourselves. Handouts with therapeutic art activities and other grounding activities with be provided at the end of the session. |
Ginamarie Nieves and Team | TBD |
TBD |
STEMpowerment Saturdays This session will emphasize the empowerment and excitement of STEM activities, making them appealing and memorable for participants. Faced with programming barriers, we adapted by shifting to more outdoor and hands-on programming. This allowed members to engage in fun activities, leading to significant growth in our STEM programs. During this session, we will explore the journey that led to our program's success. We'll discuss our challenges in implementing innovative programming and how these efforts positively impacted our community. By sharing our experiences, we aim to provide insights into overcoming obstacles and fostering a love for STEM. Participants will engage in a hands-on activity to illustrate a simple yet effective project fostering problem-solving skills. This interactive component will not only demonstrate the principles of STEM but also provide a tangible example of how engaging and educational these activities can be. Additionally, we will offer a variety of STEM ideas that participants can take home and implement in their programs. These ideas are curated to be accessible and adaptable, ensuring that they can be used to inspire and educate in various settings. Our session aims to be a comprehensive exploration of our journey, highlighting both the successes and the lessons learned. By the end of the session, participants will have a deeper understanding of how to create impactful STEM programs and will leave with practical tools and ideas to enhance their own initiatives. Join us to discover how empowering and exciting STEM can be for educators and learners. |
Esther Turner and Team | TBD |
TBD |
From Idea to Outreach: Utilizing CRED and Marketing Program Support A lot of work goes into the program cycle: needs assessments, planning, implementation and evaluation. You also need to promote your program and tell a compelling story of why it matters. If it feels like a lot, it is. In this talk, both the Community Research, Evaluation & Development (CRED) team and Cooperative Extension marketing team will walk you through the resources, expertise and strategies available to you at each stage of the process. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to get help from each team, use the tools available to you and leverage your data to create materials that communicate your impacts so funders and community partners will take notice. |
CRED Team with Ben Downer | TBD |
TBD |
Coproducing Impactful Educational Resources: Engaging 4-H Leaders in the Development of Extension Publications. During and post-pandemic AZ 4-H Faculty were faced with an overwhelming need from volunteers and families for updated and accessible resources, especially for first generation and newer families in their first livestock project. Formal and informal assessment indicated that volunteers and parents were not appropriately supported in their projects, and many youth were unsuccessful in meeting minimum weights and completing their 4-H projects. In response, the authors worked closely with AZ 4-H Livestock leaders to update and increase access to large and small livestock project information. This effort resulted in 5 University of Arizona peer reviewed publications (with 4 more in review) with a major emphasis on volunteer strategies and experience. There were three major positive impacts of this effort. First, 4-H volunteers were engaged in a collaborative publication process with faculty which resulted in a more positive 4-H program culture. Second, resources were updated to reflect modern show and industry information, in addition to extensive “tips and tricks” from years of volunteer experience. Finally, 4-H families within the first three years of participation indicated that these resources were effective and much needed support for youth participating in livestock projects. The volunteer engagement model utilized by AZ 4-H faculty is broadly applicable to many programs seeking to update program resources and increase positive volunteer and stakeholder engagement. The authors will lead a discussion on how they implemented this process in the AZ 4-H program, and discuss possibilities for other Extension areas to utilize similar methods in effective outreach. |
Joshua Farella and Team | TBD |
TBD |
Regenerative agriculture as strategy for ecological restoration. Tree, crop, and livestock production systems are not well integrated in most farming activities in Arizona, leading to negligible nutrient cycling, poor soil management, and widespread degradation of natural resources mainly due to lack of knowledge of natural desert landscapes and the biodiversity that is crucial to maintain ecosystem functions in agricultural environments . Improved integration of the tree, crop, and livestock systems will not only increase productivity of the farming systems but will also promote recycling of residues. Thus, better integration of crops, trees and livestock is necessary to enhance efficient nutrient management and foster integrated natural resources management. With this integrative systems perspective, a pilot vegetable production program is under way in several schools across Santa Cruz County with successful results. The project aims at improving soil health, fertility, and crop production by integrating trees, crops, and livestock through sustainable land use management with native tree species like mesquite (Prosopis sp). The project is testing various inexpensive and logistically feasible management practices, agroforestry with mesquite and manure additions, to enhance short and long-term soil health and fertility. Preliminary results will be presented on how regenerative agriculture can enhance vegetable production in degraded lands through agroforestry with mesquite. An strategy to scale-up this initiative in area and scope will be presented to show that integrating short-term income though vegetable production with long-term income through desert crops like agave and nopal cactus, could be highly sustainable both economically and environmentally. |
Rodolfo Martinez Morales | TBD |
TBD |
Using Qualtrics for Program Evaluation – Helpful Tips and Tools to Level Up Your Skills in Collecting, Analyzing and Reporting Survey Data Surveys are a key tool for gathering feedback and understanding how Extension impacts the community. As University of Arizona employees, we have access to the Qualtrics survey platform. While you may have built surveys in Qualtrics, it has numerous useful tools that are less well-known and can make survey distribution and reporting faster and easier. This session is intended for individuals who have had some basic experience with Qualtrics and want to level-up their skills. The presenters will highlight several key features of Qualtrics that have been particularly useful for Extension staff, including how to – create more complex surveys that involve logic, validation, and security settings; use built-in Qualtrics tools to view and analyze qualitative and quantitative results; and quickly and easily generate visual reports of survey results. In addition to a walk-through of key features, attendees will walk away with access to additional training materials to share with their teams. |
Rachel Leih and Team | TBD |
TBD |
Med Instead of Meds Med Instead of Meds is a curriculum created by North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension that guides participants through learning how to eat a Mediterranean lifestyle. The Med Instead of Meds curriculum explores the power of food and nutrition by discovering how to improve health through delicious and nutritious meals. Through six simple and practical lessons, participants learn how to incorporate the Mediterranean lifestyle into their daily routine. Research has shown that eating a Mediterranean lifestyle, you can decrease the risk of some forms of cancer, reduce weight, improve eye health, decrease risk of type 2 diabetes, help manage blood pressure, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 30-60%. Arizona has a state license to this curriculum. Come learn how you can help your county eat the Med Way! |
Tracey Waters and Team | TBD |
TBD |
Funny moments in extension A series of bloopers across Extension to be shown throughout the conference. |
Tricey Wilks | TBD |
TBD |
Social Media Mastery: Elevate Your Online Presence Workshop This workshop will focus on improving social media through better photography and video content, engagement with followers, and general social media tips about the algorithm and making social media work for your program. Will include short questions and answer session. |
Tricey Wilks | TBD |
TBD |
Saving budget money with the Federal Excess Property Program Once again I would like to present about the Federal Excess Property Program and help Extension save budget money to help With other costs. I have a 10 minute presentation with follow up Q and A. With the budget situation this program has helped offset many costs for Extension, Research and the Experiment station. We have received 1.8 Million dollars’ worth of property and paid less then 1% in shipping costs. From tools, to bulldozers this program has benefited CALES to be a part of this program. Being the only Land Grant University in the State of Arizona we are the only one in Arizona with access to this program. Last year I was up against a lot of competing great presentations. I know that it is hard to juggle them. |
Randy Livingston | TBD |
TBD |
Tucson Village Farm's FARMacy Curriculum This conference session proposal introduces the FARMacy program, an innovative prevention initiative developed by the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension’s Tucson Village Farm. FARMacy is designed to bridge the gap between food, nutrition, and health, particularly targeting vulnerable youth at risk of childhood type 2 diabetes and other diet-related diseases. The program, initiated in January 2017, operates in collaboration with the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine and El Rio Health Centers. |
Elsa Jacobson and Team | TBD |
TBD |
Navigating the Funding Maze - Tips and Tools for Successful Grant Submissions Securing external funding to support our Research and Extension Activities is an essential but often daunting task. This aim of the session is to guide you through the funding maze from how to find funding opportunities, through the twists and turns of the grant submission process ending with a successfully submitted project. Along the way we will highlight support available, who is here to help, the wrong turns that might trip you up and provide you with a timeline that can serve as you own map to the funding maze. A Q&A and feedback session will provide attendees with time to address questions about the topic. |
Rachel Crookston | TBD |
TBD |
Cultivating Volunteers: Nurturing Growth and Impact in Communities Whether you are looking to grow your current volunteer program, or are interested in getting started with volunteers in your programs, it's imperative to recognize that effective volunteer management goes beyond mere recruitment. It's about creating an environment where volunteers feel valued, empowered, and connected to the mission. This session delves into key strategies to cultivate volunteer capacity and maximize their impact, such as proper recruiting, goal setting, mission connectedness, collaboration and engagement tactics. We will also go over resources and avenues of support available to you as a volunteer sponsor. Together, let's nurture a vibrant volunteer community that drives positive change and transforms lives in our communities. |
Jessica Montgomery | TBD |
TBD |
Workshop Tactics: Teambuilding and problem solving exercises Workshop Tactics is a 54 card system designed to provide team building activities. Components are broken down into: identifying goals, understanding problems, framing up problems, encouraging ideas, evaluate solutions, decide method of action, and discuss results. During the workshop the 'recipe card' 'Team Time' will be used to give a new team the best chance of success. Attendees will break up into groups and be provided with a series of exercises designed to build a better team. i.e. Making a fake news article, finding what is pushing us forward or holding us back, skills market, stakeholder map. Workshop Tactics Webpage https://pipdecks.com/pages/workshop-tactics |
Robert Masson | TBD |
TBD |
Productivity Tactics Productivity Tactics is an educational system designed to teach the student ways to be more productive at work. This is a 54 card system that teaches how to: Prepare, Plan, Prioritize, Do, Reflect, Reduce, and Reset. During the workshop the 'Project Planning' 'Recipe Card' will be used to describe methods to set new projects up for success. It will cover different methods for setting goals, communicating with the team, and setting up weekly scheduling traditions. Attendees will be able to actively plan their own projects during the interactive workshop. |
Robert Masson | TBD |
TBD |
Storyteller Tactics: How to turn a presentation into a memorable story Storyteller tactics is an educational system designed to make presentations more entertaining and memorable. It uses a deck of 54 cards to help the user decide how to present information. In this workshop attendees will be given the same information and work in a small group to make a 6 page hand-written presentation. All information will be the same but each group will get a different 'Story Recipe Card' to vary how the information is presented. Will you be expected to: Sell, Explain, Lead, Convince, Connect? Storyteller Tactics System webpage: https://pipdecks.com/pages/storyteller-tactics |
Robert Masson | TBD |