- Author: Mark Bell
Our digital journey: progress on video clinics, the Knowledge Stream blog and thematic websites.
Video clinics moving ahead - interested?
Stay tuned for two Strategic Initiative-sponsored "how to" video clinics in April - one in the north and one in the south. We expect to train around 20 participants per clinic.
What next? 5 steps to increased impact:
Step 1: an email to all from the SI leaders inviting indications of interest to participate
Step 2: a pre-clinic webinar to learn the basics of storyboarding, branding, titling and describing videos, and more (applicable to all)
Step 3: two days of hands-on experience, working with others on how to produce 1-5 minute branded “how-to” videos
Step 4: development of an online course and other resources to support on-going video production
Step 5: people share with colleagues, using what they learn and upload. Best practices for uploading to the UC ANR YouTube channel (Strategic Communications will begin some serious curating and reorganization of our YouTube channel to facilitate discoverability of content).
Currently available resources (please share if you have other good resources):
Strat Comm communications toolkit.
For more information about the video clinics, Contact David Lile and David Lewis
Trivia Question: What is our top-viewed video with more than 1.5 million views?
(Answer: Bed Bugs in Spanish)
Knowledge Stream blog and thematic websites
Join the movement: contribute!
The Knowledge Stream helps people find practical, "how-to" information. Submit a short story (200-800 words with picture and URL links) here. Stories will appear in the Knowledge Stream Blog and in the main web site Focus Areas. Stories may also appear on the home page tiles and in social media posts.
Focused, thematic websites like the UC IPM site are effective in delivering research-based, how-to information. Two other thematic sites are being further developed: Fire and Healthy Soils. Feedback and suggestions welcome. Please also share your suggestions for other potential thematic sites with the SI leaders.
For more:
Fire: Max Moritz or Ricky Satomi
Soils: Mark Bell
SI leadership team:
- Jim Farrar (EIPD)
- David Lewis (Water)
- David Lile (SNE)
- Deanne Meyer (SFS)
- Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty (HFC)
- Mark Bell (Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Congratulations to Placer-Nevada UC Cooperative Extension. The office's Staff Assembly Ambassador, Annette Cosgrove, submitted the winning entry to the Healthy over the Holiday's photo contest.
Cosgrove led the staff and academics at Placer and Nevada UCCE in taking five group walks, two Zumba sessions, a holiday party using reusable utensils and a hallway chair race on a rainy day. The prize is an assortment of California-grown healthy goodies from Circle K Country Store in Fowler.
First runner-up in the contest was a photo collage of members of the Houston Wilson lab at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Staff research associate Jessia Maccaro (pictured in the lower left corner of the photo collage) leads staff in a daily yoga practice in the winter to get everyone in the right frame of mind for working together inside the lab.
"Healthy over the Holidays was designed to remind us that wellness should encompass all pieces of our lives from mindfulness practices to dedicating time for meaningful relationships,” said Kaela Plank, chair of the UC ANR Staff Assembly wellness committee. “The feedback we have received from this year's program has been overwhelmingly positive. Our committee is excited to continue to improve this program in order to meet the needs of the ANR community.”
Individual participants took home prizes, while all 168 UC ANR staff who signed up to be Healthy over the Holidays were winners. They received weekly emails with encouragement to eat healthy, get physical activity and take care of their mental health during a time when many people set their health goals aside until the New Year.
Almost half of the participants submitted the completion survey. Of those, 87% reported making one positive change – such as practicing mindfulness, making time for their hobbies, choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables, and getting more sleep. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they enjoyed the holistic approach and 72% enjoyed the newsletter. One office has committed to continuing their weekly walks in 2020.
The individual winners of Healthy over the Holidays were picked randomly from the participants who filled out the completion survey. Javier Miramontes and Keilani Cordero won Fitbits and Elizabeth Gong won a bamboo cutting board.
- Author: Michelle Simone, Communications Strategist, UC Office of the President
UC ANR is unique in the UC system. Its advisors and staff work in 57 out of 58 counties in the state, supporting Californians with university-based research in the areas of healthy families and communities; sustainable food systems; sustainable natural ecosystems; water, including quality, quantity and security; and pests — endemic and invasive pests and diseases. Administrative staff support business operations, development services, resource planning and management and more.
Although there was a longstanding desire to create a staff mentorship program, ANR leadership realized that their organizational complexity would require a unique and focuses approach. They deemed creating a mentorship program a priority people goal in the 2016-2020 strategic plan, and after several years in the making, the first Mentor Orientation took place in December 2018.
“To develop the ANR Staff Mentorship Program, we adapted from UCOP, UC Davis and external organization mentorship program models,” explained Learning and Development Coordinator Jodi Azulai. These efforts led to a nine-month program, which consisted of three in-person workshops and monthly meetings between mentors and mentees — most of which took place via phone- or video-conferencing due to the geographic spread of their work locations.
July 23, 2019, marked the end of the successful pilot year. Since participating in the program, two participants have moved to advanced job classifications. A majority of mentors reported that their mentorship experience helped them to learn about themselves and would benefit their careers.
“The mentorship program granted me the privilege and honor of having an exceptional mentor — a leader, role model and friend who helped me gain the confidence and guidance I needed to grow within UC ANR and beyond,” shared one participant.
“We each have so much to offer one another, whether we serve as a mentor or mentee. The hard part is finding the time to listen,” said another mentee. “When someone makes time to feel, understand and relate to another person, we all grow. It has a ripple effect.”
Among the programs encouraging outcomes are the following:
- 100% of program participants found that the program benefits mentees
- 94% of participants found that one-on-one meetings were meaningful and that participating in the program enhanced their self-awareness
- 89% observed professional growth as a result of their participation
- 88% found that participating in the program grew their interpersonal communication, leadership, technical and other skills
- 84% have identified actions to enhance their development as a result of participating
“We understood the benefits of mentoring relationships before our program began, but we now have photos, data and personal feedback from attendees that reflects the significance for continuing this program,” Azulai said.
She and her team plan to send a six-month follow-up survey to 2019 participants in January to learn how mentees have come to regard their personal and career development and outlook since participating in the program. The second Staff Mentorship Program cohort will begin in January 2020.
This story was originally published as part of a series on staff mentorship programs in UCNet.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The graphic design team worked throughout the fall to update logos in the UC ANR brand family, in English and Spanish, as well as an array of downloadable templates. As we begin 2020, everyone should update their branded materials such as email signatures, PowerPoints, posters and fact sheets with the latest UC ANR logos and templates from the ANR Communications Toolkit. Information and guidance on branding is also available in the toolkit, including a FAQ page.
“It's a new year – make sure you've got the new look,” said Linda Forbes, Strategic Communications director, with a gentle reminder.
Additional brand training materials are in development, and Forbes welcomes any branding questions you may have in the meantime. She can be reached at lforbes@ucanr.edu and (530) 750-1204.
- Author: Jodi Azulai
New skills? Extension Delivery? Building Support? Personal, Team and Office Management? Check out the Learning and Development website. Future webinars are posted and past webinar recordings are archived here.
January
Intro to Contracts & Grants and the Grant Tracking System
January 29, 2020
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
This training is for academics and staff who are new, or just need a refresher, to submitting proposals for external funding. We will provide an introduction to the Office of Contracts and Grants including an overview of the proposal submission process and the Grant Tracking System. Zoom access: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/502451113 |1 669 900 6833 | Webinar ID: 502 451 113
Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice - Webinar 2
January 30, 2020
1 p.m.-2 p.m.
Making our educational practices public: There's value in the conversation. Reflective practice as an ongoing “check in” strategy can help educators advance their practice. Reflective practice is enhanced when educators share and discuss ideas with colleagues. Zoom access: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/502451113 669 900 6833 | Webinar ID: 502 451 113
New Leadership Literacies for the Future
January 31, 2020
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. PST
Register here by Jan. 29.
Futurist Bob Johansen, Cornell Cooperative Extension, has thoughts about the future. He feels the world will become explosively more connected. The historical practice of centralized organizations will become brittle in a future where authority is radically decentralized. Rigid hierarchies will give way to liquid structures. Because of technological advances and demographic changes, most leaders aren't ready for this future.
What could this mean for us personally and for Cooperative Extension? Join us for a Learning Circle to discuss the transitions organizations are making and how we can prepare for these changes. We will take a look at a part of Johansen's New Leadership Literacies and his vision of how leaders need to prepare themselves for a new way of leading organizations and people.
2020 Grant Essential Summit
March 2-3, 2020
Deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 31, by noon.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2020 Grant Essentials Summit, a professional development program to promote the grantsmanship and leadership capacity of extension researchers and educators at UC ANR. This two-day program will feature:
- Free-writing (productivity)
- Team Science (justification, exercise, methods)
- Finding and evaluating funding opportunities
- Non-proposal communication
- Narrative strategies
- The review process
- And more!
Application Process: Email ANR Program Support Unit, or call Julia Kalika at (530) 750-1380 or (530) 750-1361.
Course Content: Vanity Campbell, Coordinator, Proposal Development Services, UC ANR Office of Contracts and Grants, vcampbell@ucanr.edu, (530) 750-1329.
Conflict Competence for Staff Register with UC Learning Center
January 29, 2020 – UC Davis Health, Sacramento
February 27, 2020 – UC Davis Campus, Davis
April 23, 2020 – UC Davis Health, Sacramento
June 23, 2020 – UC Davis Campus, Davis
This highly interactive course provides tools to help you effectively prevent and resolve conflicts at work. You will learn strategies to successfully communicate your needs, lower others' defenses, and navigate emotionally charged situations. Please note that this course has significant overlap with “Conflict Competence for Managers and Supervisors,” but focuses on interpersonal conflict dynamics with colleagues and supervisors. Travel is not covered.
Conflict Competence for Supervisors Register with UC Learning Center
February 25, 2020 – UC Davis Health, Sacramento
April 30, 2020; June 23, 2020 – UC Davis Campus, Davis
May 20, 2020 – UC Davis Health, Sacramento
At the end of this course, you will develop a personalized plan to address your specific conflict management needs. Please note that this course has significant overlap with “Conflict Competence for Staff” but includes an additional focus on managing conflict from a leadership position.
February
Impact Collaborative Facilitator Training Register Here
Registration deadline February 13, 2020
February 18-20, 2020
This training will provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact. Recommendations for selecting individuals to participate include:
- Individuals such as a program leaders
- Individuals that work closely with your leadership team
- Possess strong confidence in facilitation skills
- Can be effective in working alongside your leadership team and other program leaders to catalyze innovation throughout your organization.
Individuals must have the permission of their Extension Administrator or Director to participate.
Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice - Webinar 3
Feb 20, 2020
10:00 -11:00 am
Sustaining momentum around experiential learning and reflective practice through a Community of Practice. What are steps are needed to continue my professional growth? Zoom access: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/502451113 669 900 6833 | Webinar ID: 502 451 113
Cultivating Youth Scientists with Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)
February 25, 2020
11:00-11:30am
Our Experiences from the ANR Grant Project: Developing a Culturally-Relevant Civic Science Approach to Improving Scientific Literacy for Latino Youth
Participants will:
- Become familiar with the YPAR model and its potential for improving scientific literacy and civic engagement.
- Learn about how YPAR aligns with civic science.
- Improve understanding of the current ANR-funded project in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt counties.
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428 +1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 751 701 428
Proposal Development and Proposal Process
Wednesday, February 26
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Learn about the steps involved in the proposal submission process from developing your idea to submission. We'll go over identifying funding opportunities, developing the project concept, building collaborative teams, drafting the proposal, submitting to OCG for review, and submission to the sponsor. https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/502451113 1 669 900 6833 | Webinar ID: 502 451 113
Anytime learning
Why Conflict is Good and How Managers Can Embrace It LinkedIn Learning - Managing Team Conflict Succeeding as a leader means being a master of relationships. You need to know how to connect with people at all levels in the organization through the good and the bad—especially the bad.
Because where there's conflict, there's an opportunity to grow. Read More.
4 Ways to Get Noticed for the Job You Want (With Video) LinkedIn Learning
Finding a great job starts with a great resume. Easier said than done, right? If you want to get noticed for the job you want, you need to craft a resume that's worthy of more than six seconds. In the LinkedIn Learning course Writing a Resume with Stacey Gordon, you will learn professional tips to showcase your skills, stand out from the crowd, and land a job you want.
Everyone can learn something new.
ANR Learning & Development