UF/IFAS Extension Symposium 2023
May 9-11, 2023 at J W Reitz Union, UF Campus, Gainesville, Florida
Please find the following session available at the Symposium this year. You will need to select a session when you register.
Back to event website and registration: https://extadmin.ifas.ufl.edu/symposium/
Symposium Sessions
Wednesday, May 10
8:30am-10am
Identifying Community Needs through Qualitative Needs Assessment Processes
Presenters: Matt Benge, Karlibeth Leitheiser
Identifying community needs is a key and critical function when developing extension programs; however, many professionals skip this step because either they don’t have the time, or they don’t know the appropriate strategies or techniques. Workshop participants will learn the foundational tenants of conducting a needs assessment and will strategies and techniques for carrying out a qualitative needs assessment process.
Assessing Knowledge Gain Accurately Using Pre- and Post- Tests
Presenter: James Bunch
This workshop will apply assessing knowledge gain accurately using pre- and post- instrument(s). Emphasis will be placed on developing clear questions, aligning items with educational outcomes, and measuring outcomes with validity and accuracy
Presenting to *Everyone* as a Digital Agent
Presenters: Joe Gasper, Dewayne Hyatt, Caitlin Justesen, Danielle Williams
Prepare to learn how to craft interactive and inclusive presentations delivered to an in-person audience with PowerPoint Live Presentations. This powerful online tool provides in-person learners with digital access to the presentation on their own mobile devices. Learners will have a close look at slide content, live captioning with language translation, and built-in feedback opportunities to provide agents with valuable data. This amazing tool defeats language barriers and visual impairments! To help prepare attendees for delivering top notch presentations we’ll also look at PowerPoint Coach. Coach provides feedback and data to ensure presentations are professional, polished, and properly timed. By the end of this IST, agents will learn just how big their toolbox is when it comes to delivering presentations. Please bring your device with you to this session.
Conflict Management
Presenter: Anne Parrish
An overview of the five conflict management styles. Participants will determine their personal style of conflict management and learn how to use all conflict management styles to better handle conflict.
How to do EDIS work (author, reviewer, approver, editor, contact)
Presenter: Diana Hagan
EDIS has about 40 editors, over 2,000 IFAS-affiliated authors and co-authors, about 650 reviewers, and over 600 faculty contacts. It is the product of the work of a huge number of people across IFAS and through time. As an overview of AskIFAS/EDIS and the roles, processes, and best practices involved with creating, publishing, and maintaining EDIS publications, this session can provide an orientation to the various aspects of EDIS publishing for newcomers. There will be plenty of information about new tools and developments for old hands as well.
Business Services Administrative Updates: UFGO and other Ext/UF Activities
Presenters: Cynthia Mendoza, Victoria Peprah-Asante, Keith Gouin, Carree Musgrove
Join us for an overview and update on UFGO, the new travel and PCard system at UF. Presenters will describe the new system and the changes coming to UF travel and PCard procedures. There will be time at the end to answer your questions and present other UF updates from Business Services.
Perfecting Persuasion for Improved Science Communication
Presenter: Lauri Baker, Sydney Honeycutt
In a world where conflicting messages and confusion are pervasive, persuasive communication theories can be used in a practical way to help Extension stakeholders understand the core concepts of scientific research. By combining simplified messages and offering clear solutions, we can persuade audiences to make better decisions related to scientific information. Participants will walk away with practical tools to apply theories of persuasion in their programs to increase effective implementation of scientific concepts by their stakeholders.
Navigating Potential Contributions to Emergency Management Activities Throughout the Disaster Cycle: The Role of Extension
Presenters: Angie Lindsey, Kimberly Davis
The role of the service activities of Extension can vary by county; however, there are several activities that fall into the fundamental themes of Extension. In this training, we will provide an overview of the emergency management systems. Particularly, we will discuss emergency how Extension can assist in the different emergency support functions (ESFs), identify the different mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery operations that Extension utilizes in service activities before, during, and after disasters occur, and provide an overview of the importance of the Incident Command System (ICS) and introduce participants to its value in disaster management activities.
How to Adopt Social Marketing Methods to Foster Real Behavior Change in Extension Programming
Presenter: Paul Monaghan
This will be a true workshop for participants who want to get out of their seats and team up with colleagues to figure out the hardest question in Extension: How do we get people to change? The Social Marketing model provides a step-by-step process that can be used by change agents to understand our audiences, learn what motivates and discourages them and then design programs that make change easy with measurable outcomes. We will accomplish all this in 90 minutes! We will incorporate Social Marketing worksheets which can be applied to your own programs.
Collaboration rooms available.
10:30am-Noon
IFAS IT Update: Maximizing the use of your IT toolbox
Presenters: Andrew Carey, Joe Gasper, IFAS IT
Come and hear from the IFAS IT team about the latest UF and IFAS provided IT tools and how you can use them more effectively (and with less frustration) in your Extension work. We will be talking about Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Forms, the IFAS Directory and more!
Training Requirements for Representing UF/IFAS on Social Media
Presenters: Chris Vivian, Aaron Alexander
Representing an organization on official social media accounts is different from managing a personal account. In this session, you will learn how to manage UF/IFAS social media accounts to protect the reputation and brand of UF/IFAS, increase accessibility, and comply with UF policies and applicable state and federal laws including copyright. Moving forward, this training will be available via Extension Online and will be required of all faculty and staff managing official accounts.
Leading with Humility in Extension
Presenter: Matt Sowcik
While research suggests that humility makes us better leaders, it also makes us better, spouses, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends and better in our extension roles. The “leveling up” that comes with a humble mindset allows us to transcend who we are now, into who we are intended to be. Join Matthew Sowcik for this engaging presentation about the H-Factor and how you can utilize humility to positively transform your extension efforts
Engaging Diverse Audiences in Extension Program Development
Presenter: Keith Diem
To offer relevant Extension programs with impact, it is important to engage diverse audiences who will be served by those programs in their development and evaluation. This workshop will introduce you to strategies and methods for identifying underserved audiences and their needs/interests and involving them in creating, conducting, and prioritizing such programs.
Program Evaluation
Presenter: Sebastian Galindo
Participants in this session will learn how to choose the best evaluation designs and methods for data collection and analysis for their programs. Special emphasis will be placed on the alignment of program objectives, evaluation questions, and reporting strategies to correctly assess and communicate the quality and/or effectiveness of Extension programs. The training will be very practical, and participants will be able to immediately apply what they learn.
Community Engagement
Presenters: Angela Lindsey, Dale Pracht
Extension has been at the forefront of working to resolve community issues for years. This work often comes at the collaboration with other organizations and agencies to address needs and gaps within communities. With the recent pandemic, communities have seen changes with local nonprofits, organizations, and service providers. This includes personnel changes. Workshop will include developing or strengthening a network of partners for issue identification, program development, and implementation. Presenters will include strategies to deal with wicked issues while utilizing the assets in your community network to tackle issues and share the good work that Extension is doing in Florida.
Creating Quality Online Courses for IFAS Extension Online Learning
Presenters: Barbra Larson, Katrina Alford, Daniel Mainwaring, Rob Bailey
Do you want guided practice creating courses to teach in Extension Online Learning, the central IFAS platform for online Extension courses? Do you want to learn basic online course design and how to use quality standards for online teaching to guide your course development? This hands-on workshop focuses on planning and building an online Extension course using best practices and fundamentals of online teaching and learning. Using templates, videos, guided instruction, and cooperative learning, participants will work in groups to create a mock online course. All experience levels with online learning are welcome. Laptops will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own.
Mentoring
Presenter: Jonathan Orsini
Early career professionals across higher education are susceptible to feelings of burnout and impostor syndrome. These afflictions are generally associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, reduced job satisfaction, and greater turnover intentions. This workshop will discuss strategies mentors can use to help mentees overcome these conditions and enhance professional identity development.
Global Food Systems Institute (GFSI)
Presenters: Gbola Adesogan, Norma Samuel, David Outerbridge, Amy Simonne
This session will introduce participants to the Global Food Systems Institute. They will learn how to engage with GFSI to internationalize their extension and or research efforts; articulate the local impact of such activities; and provide input on future activities of the GFSI Extension Advisory Committee.
Collaboration rooms available.
1:30pm-3:00pm
Urban Agriculture and Community Food Systems
Presenter: Catherine Campbell
This session will provide an introduction to urban agriculture and community food systems topics and resources. The session will provide an overview of different types of urban agriculture and will discuss the social, economic, and community nutrition benefits of urban agriculture. Participants will learn about the current status of urban agriculture in Florida, including the types of urban agriculture currently prevalent in Florida, producers’ needs, and opportunities for and barriers to expansion. Because local governments play a key role in supporting or hindering urban agriculture and local food production, participants will learn about local government stakeholders’ perceptions of local food production and their informational needs and preferences. Participants will learn how they can support their local food system and urban agriculture in your Extension program.
Multi session: Florida AgrAbility Project/Ag Safety and Health
Presenters: Vanessa Spero, Serap Gorucu, Tony Delisle, David Diehl, Lindsey Head/Serap Gorucu
AgrAbility is a U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) funded program that provides direct assistance to farmers with disabilities. The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences partnering with the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida (CILNCF) has received the funding to initiate the state AgrAbility project. In this presentation, we will learn about the Florida AgrAbility project: how it works, who do we serve, and what services we provide. We will also discuss some opportunities to engage with the Florida AgrAbility Project and provide resources for working with clients with disabilities.
Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the U.S. Florida Agricultural Safety and Health program offers educational materials and trainings to prevent agricultural injuries. In this presentation, we will learn about available resources, demonstrations, and AI based video-based, sensorless motion-capture technology used for musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk assessments. Topics will also include emerging robotics and autonomous vehicle related safety considerations.
Women in Agriculture: Contributions, Needs and Opportunities
Presenter: Mickie Swisher
Women are principal or secondary operators on 51% of all farms and account for 67% of all operators in poultry operation, 64% in other livestock operations and 61% of all specialty crop operations. The USDA and the nonprofit sector offer many initiatives to help women access the resources they need. Both sectors have already taken steps toward strong collaborations to intervene more effectively together than relying on unilateral interventions. Our contribution at the 2023 Extension Symposium will be to provide Extension personnel with a comprehensive review of opportunities to more fully incorporate women in agriculture in our Extension programs.
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
(repeat session available)
Presenters: Angie Lindsey, Randy Cantrell, Andrea Albertin
Natural disasters can often be a powerful teaching tool. Join us as we discuss how to apply lessons learned from Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Ian in developing resilient FL communities. Focusing on tools and tactics for preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery, this session will cover topics on homeowner preparedness including special considerations for septic systems, wells, dealing with contractors, and reviewing your insurance policies. Our session will also look at how individuals and communities can incorporate Plan to Recover elements that may assist in the transition from response to recovery post disaster.
Multi session: Guide for Strengthening Food & Agriculture Nonprofits/Cheese making and Food Safety
Presenters: Kimberly Wiles/Marie Arick, Jill Breslawski
Kimberly Wiley provides an overview of the food and agriculture nonprofit subsector. The session addresses the specific roles nonprofits plays in the food supply chain, their overlap with Florida’s super issues, and opportunities for collaboration. She reviews the new online resources and training tools available to Extension agents for supporting locally based farms seeking 501©3 nonprofit designation.
This session will provide instruction and resources to successfully teach food safety using cheesemaking as the vehicle for capturing an audience. Participants will learn the relationship between food safety, product selection, equipment, and safe practices.
4-H General
Presenters: Stacey Ellison and 4-H Leadership Team
Florida 4-H Update. Session will share highlights and upcoming news and initiatives related to the Florida 4-H program.
Multi Session: Understanding and Communicating the Economic Contributions of the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food Industries in Florida/The UF/IFAS Invasion Science Research Institute - Opportunities for Extension engagement
Presenters: Christa Court/Matthew Thomas
This session will provide 1) an overview of the data and methods used by the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program to generate annual estimates of the economic contributions of agriculture, natural resource, and food-related industries in Florida; 2) details on the latest available information for 2021; 3) ideas for potential uses of this information within reporting or programming; and 4) a discussion of how this information is just one way to measure the value of agriculture, natural resources, and food industries in Florida.
Florida is "ground zero" for invasions, having the highest concentration of invasive species in the US, and spending 100's of millions per year on control. Dr. Thomas will describe his vision for the newly created Invasion Science Research Institute and the institute's role in transforming invasion science research, teaching, and outreach in Florida. Partnerships between researchers, end-users and Extension will be critical for integrated solutions.
Future of Urban Landscapes
Presenters: Michael Dukes, Basil Iannone, Brooke Moffis, Nick Taylor, H2OSAV, Yilin Zhuang, Laura Warner, Gail Hansen de Chapman, Hayk Khachatryan, Bryan Unruh
Florida’s population is projected to increase 50% and municipal water demand will double in the next 50 years. This projected growth is coupled with water resource limits in many areas – creating a need for new ideas beyond conventional sprinkler irrigated landscapes. This session will present the latest research-based Extension work that explores what future urban landscapes may look like in Florida as well as other strategies to reduce resource intensity of urban landscapes.
Multi session: Extension’s Role in Broadband and Digital Access/Grant Writing Workshops for Community Members
Presenters: Linda Seals, Lynn Nobles, Ramona Madhosingh-Hector/Ramona Madhosingh-Hector, Linda Seals
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how important access to digital technology is. Nationwide, Extension is being called upon to work with our local governments and non-governmental agencies to deliver educational programs that address digital equity—this includes a range of activities from convening community members to seeking funding for broadband expansion to teaching under-resourced community members how to access and use digital technology. Whether you are working with agricultural producers to use AI, teaching seniors how to use online banking, or teaching pest control operators how to test online, digital technology is important in workforce development and quality of life needs. During this session, you will learn what resources are available for this work, gain awareness of emerging national Extension initiatives in this area, and learn about Florida’s Office of Broadband and its efforts to support digital access statewide.
Small local governments and nonprofit organizations often lack the staff and experience to write successful grant proposals. The communities represented by these organizations have much to gain when these groups are awarded grants. During this session, learn about the University of Purdue Extension grant writing program that educates participants on finding grants, writing proposals, and managing grants. You don’t have to be an expert grant writer to teach this program in your community! Join us to find out how we can collaborate to provide this valuable educational programming to our clientele.
Collaboration rooms available.
3:30pm-5:00pm
Chain of Custody: Communicating with Clients about Samples and New Pests
Presenter: Prissy Fletcher, and Carrie Harmon
While being the first to identify a new pest can be exciting for faculty, it can be a game changer for the client whose property is hosting this disease, especially if it results in a quarantine. Emerging pests can include plant diseases, insects, weeds, but this presentation will cover the chain of command involving diseases of crops, and experiences by UF/IFAS faculty. Additionally, it will discuss the regulatory requirements of our own Plant Diagnostic Center, examples of “Select Agents and Toxins” by USDA PPQ and how Agents can keep their clientele informed without compromising their trust or livelihoods.
Successful Promotion Packets
Presenters: Maia McGuire and Sam Wisely
State specialists, you do amazing extension work, but how well do you “sell” it in your annual report and promotion packet? We will talk about the role of logic models, the importance of SMART objectives, and quantifying the outcomes and impacts of your extension program(s). We’ll also discuss the importance of including extension-related products in other sections of the packet and the value of working with county faculty.
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
(repeat)
Presenters: Angie Lindsey, Randy Cantrell
Natural disasters can often be a powerful teaching tool. Join us as we discuss how to apply lessons learned from Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Ian in developing resilient FL communities. Focusing on tools and tactics for preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery, this session will cover topics on homeowner preparedness including special considerations for septic systems, wells, dealing with contractors, and reviewing your insurance policies. Our session will also look at how individuals and communities can incorporate Plan to Recover elements that may assist in the transition from response to recovery post disaster.
Multi session: Building Programs to Support the Management of Multiple Chronic Conditions/The Future of Cancer Risk Reduction via Extension
Presenters: LaToya O’Neal/Melissa Vilaro
Managing multiple chronic conditions can be challenging for individuals, their family members, and caregivers. Effective self-management is influenced by a variety of individual, social, community, and environmental risk and protective factors. Self-management education programs have been shown to help individuals and their families navigate complex care needs and build skills for making recommended lifestyle changes. In this session, participants will identify risk and protective factors influencing effective self-management and discuss programmatic opportunities to educate people about self-management of multiple chronic conditions.
Currently, 60% of adults in the United States (US) live with at least one chronic disease requiring medical attention or negatively affecting daily life. This includes 17 million who have ever had cancer. Although a substantial proportion of chronic conditions are preventable, the development and implementation of effective, culturally tailored, prevention-focused health initiatives are lacking. Furthermore, many chronic conditions differentially affect some populations for a variety of reasons elucidated by social determinants of health and health equity frameworks. In this session we will discuss community-engaged approaches and appropriate use of tailored content can shape a new era of best practices for cancer prevention and risk reduction via extension.
Belonging for All: Trust-Based Relational Intervention
Presenters: Sarah Hensley, Brent Broaddus, Martie Gillen, Jessica Sprain
Given the overwhelming number of children who have endured Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and/or other trauma, all Extension professionals and volunteers must be aware of and intentionally offer programs through a trauma informed lens. Trust-based relational intervention (TBRI®) informs the science of professionals working with youth who have experienced varying degrees of trauma. This interactive workshop will present relevant research pertaining to the significance of developmental relationships, TBRI®, and the 4-H Thriving Program model. These evidence-based techniques allow educators to connect to youth who have experienced trauma to create felt-safety. Hands on examples will be provided throughout the workshop. Additionally, strategies and tools that attendees can use when working with children and families will be provided.
Making Learning Fun for Youth and Adults through Experiential Learning
Presenters: Geralyn Sachs, Keith Diem
This workshop will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Experiential Learning Model used by 4-H that can be used by anyone to employ learning by doing methods in Extension programming.
Fire in Florida – Extension Resources
Presenters: Shelly Johnson, Raelene Crandall, Alicia Halbritter
Fire is a natural process in Florida ecosystems; prescribed burning is important for land management and protection from catastrophic wildfires. There are curricula, resources, and collaborations available for extension agents to further educate themselves and their clientele on protecting their community while safely managing prescribed burns and preventing loss from wildfires. This session will introduce the Firescaping curriculum that is available for agents to implement, share online resources from Southern Fire Exchange and other websites, introduce professional trainings that offer national certification, and explain how agents can collaborate with Florida Forest Service and Prescribed Burn Associations.
Water Quality
Presenters: Michael Dukes, AJ Reisinger, Mary Lusk, Michelle Atkinson, Lisa Krimsky, Eban Bean, Andrea Albertin
Water demand and water conservation of landscapes have been perennial topics in Florida and continue to be important. With recent water quality challenges in the state such as algal outbreaks and red tide, it is important to understand the influence of urbanizing areas and the unintended off-site impacts from nutrient inputs to managed landscapes. This session will share the latest understanding and Extension efforts to reduce landscapes water quality impacts.
Expanding Your Audience and Partnerships Through Asset-based Community Development
Presenters: Hunter Goodman, Linda Seals, Ramona Madhosingh-Hector
Hunter Goodman is an assistant professor for Community, Workforce, and Economic Development at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. Dr. Goodman is an expert in asset-based community development and consensus organizing to create local community change. Much of Dr. Goodman’s research has focused on the nonprofit sector’s power in positive community change. During this session, Dr. Goodman will join us via Zoom to teach us how Extension faculty--from any program area--can use asset-based community development to strengthen and build resilient communities.
Collaboration rooms available.
Thursday, May 11
8:30am-10am
DDIS Part 1
Presenters: Bill Lester, Carre Harmon
Not sure where to go for help with plant related questions? This session will introduce you to the IFAS specialists, labs, and resources to help you get the correct diagnosis or ID for your clientele. Presenters from the Plant Pathology Diagnostic Labs, Insect ID Lab, Soil Testing Lab and Plant Identification and Information Service will explain the services they can provide and how to submit questions and samples. Included is an overview of the Distance Diagnostics and Identification System and a hands-on session where participants will practice how to properly collect, photograph, and submit a sample for analysis. Bonus: the first 40 registrants in attendance will receive a clip-on phone magnifier and associated training to support in-field diagnostics and communications.
Agent and Specialist Collaboration Enhancement (Part 1)
Presenter: Saqib Mukhtar
New state specialists with extension appointments in agriculture, horticulture and natural resources will give lightning‐round presentations to share information about themselves and their areas of expertise. Additionally, new extension agents working in natural resources (including ANR and Florida Sea Grant) will give lightning-round talks. This session will allow agents and specialists to identify faculty with whom they may want to collaborate.
Multi session: Covid-19 Changed Everything: Mental Health Impacts and How to Cope/Family Life Education
Presenters: Heidi Radunovich/Jenee’ Duncan
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected individuals and our society in a myriad of ways. While the worst of the pandemic may be ending, it is still having a lasting impact on our societal functioning, and mental health impacts persist. This presentation aims to describe the ways in which COVID-19 has affected individuals and our society, as well as lasting mental health impacts. Recommendations will be made for how to address these issues in the Extension setting as well as methods for coping with COVID-19 related stressors.
This presentation will focus on family life education as a resource to support and strengthen families. Participants will also learn about opportunities to engage with family life education curriculum designed to strengthen the coparenting relationships of parents in diverse family systems.
Multi session: Preserving Food & Reducing Food Waste for a Win-Win/Books & Cooks: A Literacy and Nutrition Security Initiative for Parents/Caregivers of K-5th Grade Children
Presenters: Catherine Campbell, Martha Maddox/Karla Shelnutt, Anne Mathews, David Diehl
Seasonal food—from local farms or gardens—is an important opportunity for FCS programs focused on food preservation. The bounty of local food available at farmers’ markets, U-pick operations, and home and community gardens is a great gateway for new audiences who are interested in preserving food for a hobby, to save money, to make gifts, or for entrepreneurship. This session will introduce participants to opportunities to connect local food with food preservation techniques. The session will provide an overview of different types of food preservation techniques, including prepping, preserving, freezing, and dehydrating, along with considerations for how to select the best preservation methods different audiences and products. We will review trends in food preservation, along with good sources of information that can be used to develop programs and provide to program attendees.
This session will provide an orientation and research background for the new ‘Books and Cooks’ project, a partnership between UF/IFAS Extension and the Lastinger Center in UF’s College of Education focused on literacy and nutrition. The project will combine (1) recruitment for the New Worlds Reading Initiative, in which at-risk elementary school children will be enrolled in the program to receive free books; and (2) a joint literacy/nutrition parent-child educational curriculum designed to improve literacy and nutrition/food security outcomes at the family level. We are interested in connecting to county faculty who share these interests and want to explore ways to partner.
Thriving Across 4-H Programs (clubs, camps, etc.)
Presenters: Sarah Hensley, Brent Broaddus, Candi Dierenfield
Presenters will share the latest updates on the 4-H Thriving Model. Session will cover the 4-H Thriving model basics and how to apply the positive youth development model to several 4-H delivery modes. Attendees will leave with tools for teaching Introduction to 4-H THRIVE Developmental Context: SPARKs, Belonging, Relationships and Engagement.
4-H in School
Presenters: Andy Toelle, Derby Sale, Stacey Ellison, Geralyn Sachs, Chris Decubellis, Shree Ghosh, Grace Carter, Shaina Spann, Heather Janney, Sabrina Hayes, Mary Lee Sale, Bailea Gnann, Sarah Davis, Laura Valencia, Kristie Popa, Stephanie Connor, Elaine Giles, Shawn Jackson, Dallas Meringolo
The session will cover what is 4-H in school, how this delivery mode differs from others, and how to have a thriving 4-H in School program in your county. New tools and new opportunities with 4-H in school will be highlighted. Finally, opportunities for agents to have their 4-H in School programs, activities, and other resources accepted for statewide use will be announced. This session is sponsored by the 4-H School Enrichment/4-H in School action team.
Post-Disaster Assessment of Agricultural Losses and Damages
Presenter: Christa Court
This session will include 1) an overview of the data and methods used by the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program to rapidly assess state-wide agricultural impacts of disaster events; 2) a description of current involvement of UF/IFAS and FAMU Extension personnel in this process; 3) a brief overview of agricultural loss estimates generated in 2022; 4) a discussion of how this information is shared and used; and 5) a discussion of how the data and methods used for this process can be improved in the future.
Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL)
Presenters: Michael Dukes, Lisa Strange, Emily Brown, Laura Vasquez, FFL Team
The Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) program celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. This program has grown from a homeowner focus to include the Green Industries Best Management Program (GIBMP) for fertilizer applicators statewide and the new FFL for Community Landscapes focus area. This session will showcase some new innovations in the FFL program as it continues to work at overcoming challenges with FFL implementation and adoption.
Lead More Effectively by Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills
Presenters: Linda Seals, Ramona Madhosingh-Hector
Most of us have been in a poorly managed meeting—the process was unclear, there was no agenda, no goals were stated, and some individuals dominated the conversation while others were not engaged. Many of us have probably led a meeting like that! During this session, learn how to facilitate meetings like a pro! Learn how to develop a process that will move a group from the “groan” stage to success. Learn how to keep group members engaged and manage those who want to dominate the meeting. We will introduce you to a new Florida Extension program, Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills, that improves your skills and gives you confidence in facilitating everything from an advisory committee meeting to a strategic planning session.
Collaboration rooms available.
10:30am-Noon
FAWN/Big Data
Presenters: Rick Lusher, Ziwen Yu
Big-data management is becoming essential to ensuring quality data collection and data-related extension services. To ensure the reliability and quality of UF/IFAS Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) weather observations and applications, a Quality-Assurance-Quality-Control (QA/QC) protocol based on statistics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been developed and deployed. In addition to this data technology application as well as the production of new digital commodities (e.g., carbon-credits), a program has also been created to evaluate agricultural data rights issues (e.g., data ownership and control) to guide stakeholder practices.
DDIS (Part 2)
Continuation
Presenters: Bill Lester, Carre Harmon
Not sure where to go for help with plant related questions? This session will introduce you to the IFAS specialists, labs, and resources to help you get the correct diagnosis or ID for your clientele. Presenters from the Plant Pathology Diagnostic Labs, Insect ID Lab, Soil Testing Lab and Plant Identification and Information Service will explain the services they can provide and how to submit questions and samples. Included is an overview of the Distance Diagnostics and Identification System and a hands-on session where participants will practice how to properly collect, photograph, and submit a sample for analysis. Bonus: the first 40 registrants in attendance will receive a clip-on phone magnifier and associated training to support in-field diagnostics and communications.
Agent and Specialist Collaboration Enhancement (Part 2)
Presenter: Saqib Mukhtar
New agriculture and horticulture extension agents will give lightning‐round presentations to share information about themselves and their areas of expertise. This session will allow faculty to identify agents with whom they may want to collaborate.
All FCS Team Building Event
Presenters: Amy Simonne, Wendy Lynch, Kendra Hughson
Join us for this “all FCS faculty” meeting as we continue the journey to a strong FCS team. We want to leave symposium feeling connected, supported, and excited about the FCS future.
Volunteerism and Developmental Relationships
Presenters: Candi Dierenfield, Heather Kent and Team
VOLUNTEER RESEARCH & KNOWLEDGE COMPETENCY (VRKC) and 4-H THRIVING model, focusing on the importance of developmental relationships in positive youth development.
School Based Clubs/Afterschool
Presenters: Vanessa Spero, Team
One of the best ways to engage new audiences and grow your 4-H program is to work with youth in afterschool programs. Learn some best practices and recommendations to be successful with partners, work within your capacity, and meet the needs of the community.
Multi-Session: C2E2 Climate and Carbon Extension Educators: The Carbon Economy/BioBlitzes: Hosting a successful event
Presenters: Shirley Baker, Tara Wade, Young Gu Her, Jehangir Bhadha, Michael Andreu//Brent Sellers, Ken Gioeli, Shannon Carnevale, Shirley Baker
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing society. Certain management practices can store more carbon in soil, thus mitigating the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) and helping to slow global warming. Creating and trading carbon credits incentivizes agricultural and natural resource management practices that more efficiently sequester carbon. Understanding the science, mechanisms, and policy behind the carbon cycle and trading will help Florida’s agriculture and natural resource sectors better prepare for the carbon economy. This session will introduce participants to the concepts related to carbon sequestration, credits, and markets.
BioBlitzes provide a snapshot of biodiversity at a particular time and location and are usually open to public participation by scientists, students, and volunteers. BioBlitzes allow for ongoing monitoring of biodiversity, contribute to scientific data repositories, and find rare and invasive species. They also offer valuable opportunities for the public to interact with scientists, explore natural areas, and become more aware of natural resources. Presenters will share their experiences and useful “dos and don’ts” of hosting a successful BioBlitz event. We will also familiarize participants with the iNaturalist app.
Quantifying Water Quality Impacts
Presenters: Michael Dukes, Tina McIntyre, AJ Reisinger
Many within UF/IFAS are educating or performing research on fertilizer Best Management Practices related to water quality, however quantifying impacts is challenging. In this session we will review packaged, tailorable curriculum that can be used to teach about fertilizer and showcase a new tool that can have statewide application in measuring the amount of nutrients mitigated from entering local waterways. The tool also provides a monetary number associated with the nitrogen mitigated and equates the nitrogen mitigated into dollars saved. The tool is published in the EDIS publication, Quantifying Water Quality and Economic Impacts of Fertilizer Workshops: A Case Study.
CIVIC: What Does Involvement in Local Complex Issues Look Like for Extension?
Presenters: Carol Roberts, Katherine Allen, Kimberly Davis, Peyton Beattie, Daniel Gonzalez, Yesenia Rodriguez
Learn how bringing people together for dialogue can help communities and local governments address complex issues, and the roles can Extension play in bringing people together.
Collaboration rooms available.
Contact Val Aldrnari for web updates
Last updated February 28, 2023