THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXTENSION PROGRAM AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS (NAEPSDP) ADVANCES CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF EXTENSION PERSONNEL WORKING IN PROGRAM, STAFF, AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. OUR WORK FOCUSES ON ORGANIZATIONAL AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT; PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT; AND TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, AND OUR ROLES CUT ACROSS ALL NATIONAL AND STATEWIDE EXTENSION PROGRAM AREAS.EXTENSION FACES TWO CHALLENGES. FIRST, PERSONNEL ARE HIRED FOR SUBJECT MATTER OR TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO FILL AGRICULTURE, FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE, 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POSITIONS, BUT MAY NOT HAVE TRAINING IN PROGRAM AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT, PROJECT EVALUATION, OR COMMUNICATION. SECOND, EXTENSION NEEDS TO EXPAND PROGRAM AUDIENCES, REACH THE UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND DIVERSIFY PARTICIPATION AND ACCESS ACROSS ALL PROGRAM AREAS.TO ADDRESS THESE TWIN OPPORTUNITIES, THE 2022 NAEPSDP CONFERENCE REIMAGINING EXTENSION (NOV. 29-DEC. 1, 2022, IN FT. LAUDERDALE BEACH, FLORIDA) AIMS TO BUILD CAPACITY TO DELIVER CULTURALLY-RELEVANT EXTENSION PROGRAMS AT OUR UNIVERSITIES. GOALS ARE TO:OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS TO SHOWCASE THE IMPACT OF THEIR RESEARCH, APPLICATION, THEORY/PHILOSOPHY, OR INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODELS THROUGH POSTERS, PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS.CONNECT WITH, SHARE, AND LEARN ABOUT BEST PRACTICES FROM COLLEAGUES ENGAGED IN SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES.EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FELLOW EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS THROUGH NETWORKING.BUILD SKILLS AND COMMITMENT TO CULTURAL RELEVANCE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND APPLICATION NATIONWIDE.TO MEET THESE GOALS, THE AFRI CONFERENCE GRANT WILL SUPPORT THESE ACTIVITIES:TWO INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS ON THE INTERCULTURAL DEVELOPMENT INVENTORY® (IDI®) AND THE GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION TEXTBOOK,INVOLVEMENT OF CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS IN INTERACTIVE, EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, AND STRATEGIES,PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION TO CONFERENCE ATTENDEES OF THE IDI® SURVEY AND GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT TEXTBOOK, ANDRESEARCH ASSESSING EFFECTIVENESS OF CONFERENCE MULTICULTURAL ACTIVITIES, PARTICIPANT ACTIONS AND STRATEGIES ADOPTED AT THEIR UNIVERSITIES, AND THE IMPACT OF THOSE EFFORTS DURING 2023.CONFERENCE ATTENDEES WILL GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOP SKILLS TO IMPLEMENT MULTICULTURAL AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT STRATEGIES, EXPRESS ASPIRATIONS TO CREATE AND DELIVER CULTURALLY RELEVANT ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS, AND ENGAGE, CONNECT, AND EXPLORE COLLABORATIVE AND MULTISTATE PROGRAMS/PROJECTS.AS A RESULT OF THESE CONFERENCE EXPERIENCES, ATTENDEES WILL APPLY NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AT THEIR LGUS IN 2023, EXTENDINGAUDIENCE REACH VIA TRAINING OF EXTENSION FACULTY AND STAFF FOR CAPACITY BUILDING OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCE IN PROGRAMMING.AND, ULTIMATELY, AS ATTENDEES GAINAWARENESS, KNOWLEDGEAND SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN CONNECTING WITH OTHERS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, AND ON A P,ROFESSIONAL LEVEL, THE RESULT IS THE EXPANSION OF EXTENSION PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND STAKEHOLDERS.THE 2022 CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES WILL BUILD SKILLS AND COMMITMENT TO MULTICULTURAL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND APPLICATION AT LGUS NATIONWIDE.

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

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