Learning & Development
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In August you'll find a variety of opportunities to strengthen your professional skills, expand your network and support your well-being. This month's offerings include webinars on mentorship, food insecurity and mental health, community partnerships, conflict competence and building mentoring networks.
You'll also find resources to enhance fundraising, strategic communications, digital accessibility, inclusion, and resilience during times of change. Whether you're looking to develop new leadership skills, explore self-paced learning, or discover tools to support your work, there's something for every employee.
- Extension Methods & Delivery - Explore training and resources to improve how you design and deliver effective extension programs and educational outreach.
- Building Support - Learn strategies for developing partnerships, engaging stakeholders and securing resources to strengthen your work.
- Inclusion & Belonging - Access tools and learning opportunities to create welcoming, equitable and inclusive environments for diverse audiences.
- Office, Team and Personal Management - Find professional development resources to enhance workplace skills and processes, teamwork and your individual growth.
Extension Methods & Delivery
Leadership Development Skills for Science Educators: Leading Through Mentorship (Extension Foundation)
Aug. 11| 10:30–11:30 a.m. PT
Strengthen your ability to lead through effective mentorship. This webinar explores practical coaching and mentoring strategies that Extension professionals can use to support colleagues, build confidence and develop long-term capacity. Participants will reflect on their mentoring approach and leave with tools they can apply in real-world Extension settings. View details and register for Leading Through Mentorship.
Food Insecurity and Mental Health: Build Your P.L.A.T.E. (Extension Foundation)
Aug. 13 | 11 a.m.–noon PT
Explore the connections among food insecurity, stress, diet quality and mental health. Members of the Western Region Mental Health and Nutrition Network will share research findings and educational approaches that can help Extension professionals better understand, reach and support individuals and families experiencing food insecurity and related stressors. View Food Insecurity and Mental Health session details.
Building Strong Communities: A Panel Discussion (Extension Foundation)
Aug. 26 | 8–9:30 a.m. PT
Discover how shared responsibility and strong local systems can improve support for military families. Representatives from military and community organizations will share policy perspectives, successful community-based approaches and strategies for navigating barriers, strengthening partnerships and coordinating services for Guard, Reserve and geographically dispersed families. View details and register for Building Strong Communities.
Program or Applied Research? (Extension Foundation)
Aug. 26 | 11 a.m.–noon PT
Save the date for this upcoming Extension Foundation session highlighting program work or applied research. Additional information about the topic, presenters and registration will be announced. Check for Program Center Stage session updates.
Pop-Up Farmers Markets: Expanding Food Access for Seniors (Extension Foundation)
Aug. 27 | 11 a.m.–noon PT
Learn how pop-up farmers markets can improve access to fresh, local food for older adults. Presenters from the University of Wisconsin and Michigan State University will share how partnerships with farmers brought markets directly to urban senior communities, increased voucher redemption, supported social connection and strengthened local food systems. Participants will gain practical lessons and replicable strategies for advancing food equity through Extension programming. View Pop-Up Farmers Markets session details.
AgriProspects Summit
April 27–29, 2027 | Atlanta, Georgia
Save the date for a national gathering focused on strengthening the adult agricultural workforce. AgriProspects is a five-year, NIFA-funded initiative that promotes regional collaboration, identifies gaps in workforce ecosystems and supports adaptive solutions to local and regional employment challenges through the Cooperative Extension System. Registration and hotel information will be announced. View AgriProspects Summit updates.
Building Support
Development Services: Fundraising and Philanthropy
Strengthen your ability to secure funding, build meaningful donor relationships and communicate the value of your work. Development Services offers strategic guidance and resources to help elevate program impact and expand philanthropic support for UC ANR. Explore Development Services resources.
Government and Community Relations
Strengthen your ability to engage effectively with policymakers, community leaders and other partners. These resources support relationship-building, strategic communication and informed advocacy aligned with UC policies – helping increase the visibility and impact of UC ANR programs. Search Government and Community Relations resources.
Strategic Communications
Sharpen your messaging, storytelling and outreach to connect more effectively with your audiences. Strategic Communications provides resources to help increase program visibility, strengthen engagement and ensure consistent use of the UC ANR brand. Identify Strategic Communications resources.
Inclusion & Belonging
Practice Your Spanish with NOS
Strengthen your Spanish-language skills while learning more about UC ANR programs and communities. The Spanish News and Information Outreach Unit shares articles, podcasts, and video stories in Spanish, including El Café al Medio Día con Ricardo Vela. Employees can use these engaging resources to practice listening and reading while staying connected to UC ANR’s Spanish-language outreach. Explore Spanish-language news and resources from NOS. Additional resources: Watch a Spanish-language video from UC ANR. Read the Nuestra Comunidad blog.
UC Managing Implicit Bias (UC Learning Center)
Self-paced eCourse | Six courses, 15–20 minutes each
Increase your awareness of implicit bias and learn strategies for reducing its influence in workplace decisions and interactions. The six-course series examines common forms of bias and offers practical approaches involving awareness, mindfulness, conscious debiasing and equitable hiring. Employees who complete all six courses earn the UC Systemwide HR Managing Implicit Bias Certificate. View UC Managing Implicit Bias course information.
Join the UC Digital Accessibility Community of Practice (UCwide)
The UC Digital Accessibility Community of Practice (CoP) brings together faculty, staff and practitioners from across the University of California who are committed to making digital content more accessible and inclusive. The Community of Practice provides opportunities to share knowledge, exchange best practices, build connections and collaborate on accessibility efforts across the UC system.
If you're interested in digital accessibility – whether you're just getting started or have experience to share – you are welcome to join the community. Get involved by:
- Participating in Community of Practice meetings
- Connecting with colleagues through the UC Tech Slack #accessibility channel
- Sharing accessibility tools, resources or success stories
- Helping plan meetings or develop shared resources
- Mentoring others or supporting accessibility efforts across UC
To be added to the Community of Practice mailing list or to learn more, contact Jamie Herrera at Jamie.Herrera@ucop.edu or digitalaccessibility@ucop.edu.
Office, Team and Personal Management
Navigating Business Operations Center (BOC) Processes for New Employees
Second Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. | Next session: Aug. 11
New to UC ANR? Join us to watch a prerecorded overview of Business Operations Center (BOC) processes, with a live BOC team member available throughout the session to answer your questions.
During this session, you'll learn about topics such as:
- BOC's functions and clients within UC ANR
- BOC resources and trainings
- How to access and use UC ANR systems (e.g. Aggie Enterprise, WFA, AggieExpense)
- P-Card & Travel Card applications and policies
- Software and application purchasing
- Workflow Automation (WFA)
- Accounting: Common Chart of Accounts (CCOA)
Register for this high-level overview to better understand how to navigate these systems, how to run reports and how/where to submit documents.
All are welcome to attend as many BOC orientations as desired! Please register each month so that we can best prepare content.
The Business Operations Center (BOC) hopes to see new UC ANR employees or seasoned ANR employees seeking a refresher on the above topics during our monthly orientations. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to BOC at bocsupport@ucanr.edu with questions or suggestions!
Conflict Competence for Managers and Supervisors (UC Davis Ombuds)
Aug. 13 and 20 | 8:30 a.m.–noon PT each day
Turn workplace conflict into an opportunity for stronger communication and healthier teams. This interactive, two-part course helps managers recognize conflict before it escalates, understand core employee needs, navigate power dynamics, build trust and lead emotionally charged conversations. Participants will also develop a personalized plan for addressing their own conflict-management needs. Register for Conflict Competence for Managers and Supervisors. View future UC Davis Ombuds training opportunities.
Skill #7: Cultivating Your Network of Mentors, Sponsors and Collaborators (NCFDD)
Aug. 13 | 11 a.m.–noon PT
Build a network that supports your goals at every stage of your career. This NCFDD webinar will help participants assess their current mentoring relationships, distinguish between mentors and sponsors, identify unmet needs and develop a plan for expanding their network of mentors, sponsors and collaborators. Register for Cultivating Your Network of Mentors, Sponsors and Collaborators.
LinkedIn Strategies for UC ANR Employees (With Doralicia Garay)
Sept. 8 | 10 a.m. PT
Want to make your work more visible and expand your professional reach? Learn practical LinkedIn strategies to showcase your impact and strengthen your network.
Zoom link: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/95530820478
Protect Your Well-Being through Change and Uncertainty (LinkedIn Learning)
Learn eight practical strategies to not just survive, but thrive, during times of transition. Learn how to build self-efficacy, find autonomy and foster social connections – all key factors in boosting your well-being. Whether you're adapting to a new normal or facing ongoing workplace transitions, this course emphasizes the importance of levity and a positive approach to maintaining balance and resilience. Access this course in the LinkedIn Learning Platform. Ask for your LinkedIn Learning account by emailing ANR IT at help@ucanr.edu.
Learn. Apply. Grow.
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