- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Ricardo Vela, manager of UC ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish, spoke to the UC Regents Public Engagement and Development Committee on Nov. 15 about science communication for Latino Californians.
Vela explained that studies show that even Latinos fluent in English may prefer to receive information in their “language of comfort.” He described partnering with Univision/Entravision to promote a COVID-19 vaccination campaign on TV in Mixteco, Zapoteco, Triqui and Purépecha, indigenous Mexican languages.
Vela introduced Josie Huerta of Univision/Entravision, who told the regents that providing science-based information to indigenous Mexican viewers in their native language was important to establish trust with the skeptical audience. The media company ran the vaccination campaign on local TV, radio, Facebook and Instagram with a link to a UC ANR for more information.
“The combined campaigns generated over 1,173,000 engagements of some form,” Huerta said.
The campaign placed the first TV spots broadcast in a language other than English and Spanish on Univision, Vela added.
“It's just amazing the reach that you have and the breadth of folks that you are able to communicate with,” said Regent Janet Reilly, who chairs the committee. “It's so important. I wish we had this in every aspect of the university.”
Reilly called NOS “an example for the rest of the university how we can reach more people and communicate with them effectively.”
Alumni regent-designate Alfonso Salazar noted that his mother was an Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program educator, visiting Latino families at their Boyle Heights homes in Los Angeles to deliver nutrition information for 25 years. “My mom is known as 'La Señora' in the neighborhood,” Salazar said.
Regent Jose Hernandez told Vela and Huerta, “I think you guys formed the perfect partnership with respect to getting any newsworthy item out to the Latino population. I think really, really we should use you folks as a model for the rest of the university, as Chair Reilly suggested, because you guys are doing it right and I commend you. Muchas gracias."
The meeting was held at UCLA and live streamed.
Watch Vela's 10-minute presentation and the regents' reactions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTPm58GnnSs&t=4178s.
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
Después de trece años de contar la historia de UC ANR a través de artículos y videos, Norma De la Vega se jubiló el pasado 29 de junio. De la Vega se incorporó, en el 2009, al equipo de UC ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish (Servicio de Información en Español) o NOS, por sus siglas en inglés, como redactora sénior9.
NOS cumplió con la visión de UC ANR de crear programas educativos e informativos en español para servir a la comunidad latina. NOS ha producido, durante más de 40 años, información en formatos propios para audiencias de radio, televisión e internet, y De la Vega jugó un papel instrumental en ayudar a que NOS expandiera su alcance y diversificara su enfoque creativo para narrar historias.
Cuando empezó, la mayoría de sus historias escritas se enfocaban en el tema de la nutrición, destacando a grupos como el Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (Programa Expandido de Educación sobre Alimentos y Nutrición y el Instituto de Políticas sobre Nutrición. “Las contribuciones de Norma dieron en el clavo”, dijo el administrador de NOS, Ricardo Vela. “Su impacto ha tenido que ver con imprimir la importancia de la nutrición en las historias que llevamos a la comunidad”.
De la Vega se graduó de la licenciatura en ciencias de la comunicación de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México en la Ciudad de México, de donde es originaria. “Aprender a producir videos cuando estaba en la escuela era muy diferente a ahora”, manifestó De la Vega. “No teníamos el tipo de cámaras que tenemos ahora”.
Después de graduarse de la universidad, De la Vega trabajó como reportera de televisión en Tijuana antes de mudarse al condado de San Diego donde comenzó a enfocarse en la prensa escrita. Antes de UC ANR, De La Vega trabajó como redactora en Enlace, un periódico del Union-Tribune, el cual se publicó en español en San Diego, durante cerca de una década.
Ante de que se convirtiera en el principal medio de NOS para contar historias, De la Vega ayudó a guiar los esfuerzos del equipo para producir videos a pesar de su limitada experiencia. “No éramos expertos, pero nos dimos cuenta de la importancia de la producción de videos para poder dar a conocer nuestra información. Fue un trabajo de equipo”, indicó De la Vega.
En el 2010, De la Vega escribió una historia y produjo un video sobre la importancia de planificar para la edad avanzada. En muchos casos, los hijos adultos tienen que hacerse cargo del cuidado de sus padres sin ninguna guía y la mayoría de los cuidadores de los adultos mayores hablan español como primer idioma y necesitaban más recursos para realizar un mejor trabajo.
La historia de De la Vega se basó en una investigación realizada por Patti Wooten Swanson, asesora de nutrición, familia y ciencias del consumidor de UCCE en San Diego. No solo Swanson fue reconocida durante los premios Galaxy del 2013 por su contribución a la historia, sino que, De la Vega, miembro del equipo de NOS en ese tiempo, ganó el primer lugar durante la ceremonia de premios de Western Region Television/Video Communications a pesar de no existir una categoría en español.
En el 2016, De la Vega produjo un video sobre el primer club bilingüe del programa 4-H, como resultado de la colaboración con la Community Settlement Association en el condado de Riverside. “En ese tiempo estaban pasando muchas cosas buenas y siguen pasando ahora que ANR está evolucionando con más expertos bilingües en diferentes temas”, dijo De la Vega.
A pesar de haberse iniciado como redactora sénior, De La Vega evolucionó y se convirtió en especialista en comunicación audiovisual. Su éxito en este cargo le permitió mantener una buena comunicación con otros comunicadores y líderes comunitarios. “Norma siempre tenía así contacto que necesitábamos para una historia en la que estábamos trabajando”, expresó Miguel Sánchez, otro de los especialistas en comunicación audiovisual del equipo de NOS.
Lisa Rawleigh, asistente administrativa de NOS, estableció una relación personal y profesional con De la Vega. “Norma se aseguraba que nuestros artículos en español estuvieran apropiadamente redactados y de que no faltaran los acentos o errores tipográficos. Siempre podía confiar en ella para que corrigiera mis publicaciones en las redes sociales”, mencionó Rawleigh.
De la Vega dijo sentirse “enormemente satisfecha” de haber trabajado con un equipo de compañeros pioneros. “A pesar de que no éramos expertos, aprendimos mucho todos los días y juntos”, indicó De la Vega. “Hoy en día, hay varios expertos en la producción de videos comunitarios y ayudamos a enriquecer el archivo gráfico de los programas comunitarios de UC ANR. Creo que nuestra contribución fue marcar el camino en esa dirección”.
Mirando al futuro, De la Vega aprovechará su jubilación para viajar y explorar otros países. Desde que era niña, De la Vega ha disfrutado la natación y espera muy pronto hacerlo con mayor frecuencia. “Me encanta nadar porque estar en el agua siempre me hace sentir joven”, agregó.
De la Vega también planear disfrutar tiempo de calidad con sus nietos, ensenándoles a hablar español y sirviendo como voluntaria en el programa de inmersión en español de la escuela a la que asisten los pequeños.
Adaptado al español por Leticia Irigoyen del artículo en inglés
Editado para su publicación por Ricardo Vela
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
After 13 years of telling the UC ANR story through written articles and video production, Norma De la Vega retired on June 29. De la Vega joined UC ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish team in 2009 as a senior writer.
NOS fulfilled UC ANR's vision of developing educational and informational programs in Spanish to serve the Latino community. For more than 40 years, NOS has been producing information formatted for radio, television, and online audiences, and De la Vega has played an instrumental role in helping NOS expand its reach and diversify its creative approach to storytelling.
When she started, most of her writing focused on nutrition, highlighting groups like the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Nutrition Policy Institute. “Norma's contributions were spot on,” said NOS Program Manager Ricardo Vela. “Her impact has been bringing the importance of nutrition into the stories that we bring to the community.”
De la Vega earned a bachelor's degree in science communications from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in her hometown of Mexico City. “Learning how to produce videos when I went to school was very different than now,” said De la Vega. “We didn't have the kind of cameras we do today.”
Following college, De la Vega worked as a television reporter in Tijuana before moving to San Diego County where she started focusing on writing. Prior to UC ANR, De La Vega worked as a writer for the Enlace Union-Tribune's Spanish newspaper in San Diego for nearly a decade.
Before it became NOS' primary medium for storytelling, De la Vega helped lead the team's video production effort despite her limited experience. “We weren't experts, but we realized the importance of video production to get our information out. It was a team effort,” she said.
In 2010, De la Vega wrote a story and produced a video on the importance of planning for old age. In many cases, adult children had to manage their parent's care without guidance, and most caregivers of the elderly spoke Spanish as their first language and needed more resources to do a better job.
De la Vega's story relied on research conducted by Patti Wooten Swanson, UCCE nutrition, family and consumer science advisor in San Diego. Not only was Swanson honored at the 2013 Galaxy Awards for her contribution to the story, but De la Vega, a member of the NOS team at the time, won first place at the Western Region Television/Video Communications Award Ceremony despite the lack of a Spanish language category.
In 2016, De la Vega produced a video of the first bilingual 4-H club, the result of a partnership with the Community Settlement Association in Riverside County. “A lot of good things were happening at that time and are happening now because ANR is evolving with more bilingual experts on different topics,” De la Vega said.
Although she started as a senior writer, De La Vega evolved and became a broadcast communications specialist. Her success in the role allowed her to become well-connected to other communicators and community leaders. “Norma always had a contact we needed for a story that we were working on,” said Miguel Sanchez, another broadcast communications specialist on the NOS team.
Lisa Rawleigh, NOS administrative assistant, established a personal and professional relationship with De la Vega. “Norma ensured that our Spanish articles were written properly and that we did not miss any accents or typos. I can always count on her to proofread my posts on social media,” said Rawleigh.
De la Vega said that she feels “enormously satisfied” to have worked with a team of fellow pioneers. “Although we were not experts, we learned so much every day and together,” De la Vega said. “Today, there are several experts in the production of community videos, and we helped enrich the graphic archive for UC ANR's community programs. I think our contribution was to lead the way in that direction.”
Looking ahead, De la Vega will be spending her retirement traveling and exploring other countries and cultures. Since she was a girl, De la Vega enjoyed swimming and can't wait to do more of it. “I love to swim because being in the water always makes me feel young,” she said.
Finally, De la Vega will enjoy quality time with her grandchildren, teaching them Spanish and volunteering at the Spanish immersion school they attend.
To read this story in Spanish, visit https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=57440.
/span>- Author: Saoimanu Sope
After 13 years of telling the UC ANR story through written articles and video production, Norma De la Vega retired on June 29. De la Vega joined UC ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish team in 2009 as a senior writer.
NOS fulfilled UC ANR's vision of developing educational and informational programs in Spanish to serve the Latino community. For more than 40 years, NOS has been producing information formatted for radio, television, and online audiences, and De la Vega has played an instrumental role in helping NOS expand its reach and diversify its creative approach to storytelling.
When she started, most of her writing focused on nutrition, highlighting groups like the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Nutrition Policy Institute. “Norma's contributions were spot on,” said NOS Program Manager Ricardo Vela. “Her impact has been bringing the importance of nutrition into the stories that we bring to the community.”
De la Vega earned a bachelor's degree in science communications from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in her hometown of Mexico City. “Learning how to produce videos when I went to school was very different than now,” said De la Vega. “We didn't have the kind of cameras we do today.”
Following college, De la Vega worked as a television reporter in Tijuana before moving to San Diego County where she started focusing on writing. Prior to UC ANR, De La Vega worked as a writer for the Enlace Union-Tribune's Spanish newspaper in San Diego for nearly a decade.
Before it became NOS' primary medium for storytelling, De la Vega helped lead the team's video production effort despite her limited experience. “We weren't experts, but we realized the importance of video production to get our information out. It was a team effort,” she said.
In 2010, De la Vega wrote a story and produced a video on the importance of planning for old age. In many cases, adult children had to manage their parent's care without guidance, and most caregivers of the elderly spoke Spanish as their first language and needed more resources to do a better job.
De la Vega's story relied on research conducted by Patti Wooten Swanson, UCCE nutrition, family and consumer science advisor in San Diego. Not only was Swanson honored at the 2013 Galaxy Awards for her contribution to the story, but De la Vega, a member of the NOS team at the time, won first place at the Western Region Television/Video Communications Award Ceremony despite the lack of a Spanish language category.
In 2016, De la Vega produced a video of the first bilingual 4-H club, the result of a partnership with the Community Settlement Association in Riverside County. “A lot of good things were happening at that time and are happening now because ANR is evolving with more bilingual experts on different topics,” De la Vega said.
Although she started as a senior writer, De La Vega evolved and became a broadcast communications specialist. Her success in the role allowed her to become well-connected to other communicators and community leaders. “Norma always had a contact we needed for a story that we were working on,” said Miguel Sanchez, another broadcast communications specialist on the NOS team.
Lisa Rawleigh, NOS administrative assistant, established a personal and professional relationship with De la Vega. “Norma ensured that our Spanish articles were written properly and that we did not miss any accents or typos. I can always count on her to proofread my posts on social media,” said Rawleigh.
De la Vega said that she feels “enormously satisfied” to have worked with a team of fellow pioneers. “Although we were not experts, we learned so much every day and together,” De la Vega said. “Today, there are several experts in the production of community videos, and we helped enrich the graphic archive for UC ANR's community programs. I think our contribution was to lead the way in that direction.”
Looking ahead, De la Vega will be spending her retirement traveling and exploring other countries and cultures. Since she was a girl, De la Vega enjoyed swimming and can't wait to do more of it. “I love to swim because being in the water always makes me feel young,” she said.
Finally, De la Vega will enjoy quality time with her grandchildren, teaching them Spanish and volunteering at the Spanish immersion school they attend.
To read this story in Spanish, visit https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=57440.
/span>- Author: Wendy Powers
Congratulations to Katherine Uhde! Katherine has been accepted into the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship Program at Johns Hopkins University. The Program is unique and a partnership between UC ANR and JHU. What a great opportunity for Katherine and UC ANR! Now, more than perhaps ever before, such partnerships are important. Cooperative Extension can play an important role to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in our communities.
We were fortunate to hear from Fabian Rivera from UC San Diego during our May Town Hall. Since that time, Marcel and Ricardo have partnered with Fabian to work on a project designed to address vaccine hesitancy by indigenous farmworkers in California and their families, such as Mixtecos and Zapotecos of Oaxaca, the Totonacas of Veracruz, the Nahuas of Guerrero, and Purépechas in Michoacán.
The week has flown by. It helps that I was able to leave the garage and visit the Hansen REC on Monday. It was great to see people and have in-person discussions! I valued the time we had to discuss important issues. I missed most of the tour. I had toured the facility previously, but was surprised to see how big the Trees for Tomorrow plantings have gotten! It helps to not get snow.
During the tour, I participated in a meeting with 3 members of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Domestic Policy Council to keep the White House apprised of the value of investing in Extension to address Climate Mitigation, Resiliency, and Adaption; Economic and Workforce Development; and Health, Equity and Well-Being. The Project Board impact statements come in handy for such meetings! The first question from the White House staff was about how we are engaged, or could be more engaged, with Climate Hubs. The question was a fantastic opportunity to talk about the work of the Climate Smart Ag team and the opportunity that capacity funds provide for building long-term relationships between our academics/community educators and networks such as the Climate Hub. That same message about capacity funding is key to comments submitted in response to NIFA's request for feedback on priority needs. Those comments were submitted late this afternoon. Now I am ready to focus on tomorrow's meetings.
I am looking forward to a day off on Friday and the holiday on Monday. I hope everyone enjoys some time away from Zoom. Stay safe!