NI25SLBCXXXXG010

Project description: The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), of which the University of Maryland Extension (UME) is a part, has identified seven 'grand challenges' for FY 2025 that represent major programmatic initiatives that we will direct our Smith-Lever funding and resources towards accomplishing.

These areas align with nationally identified grand challenges and with AGNR's strategic initiatives.

They are: sustainability, competitiveness, profitability of food and agriculture, environmental stewardship, sustainable practices, adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change, ensuring a safe, secure and abundant food supply, improving human health, nutrition and wellness, strengthening individual, family and community resilience, and energy security and the development of the bioeconomy from renewable natural resources.

Objectives: UME is focused on sweeping, impacting, and making a difference through outcomes that benefit Maryland's agro-ecosystems, waterbodies, environment and natural resources, food systems, communities, youth, and adults.

The UME will tackle the big, critically critical societal issues, including those that are the 'most challenging and vexing.'

To determine the most challenging and vexing issues, UME engages federal, state, and county level stakeholders in dialogs, scans the environment for changing conditions, analyzes data available from multiple trusted sources, and relies on the expertise and leadership of impact teams made up of field-based educators, researchers, campus-based extension specialists, and leading experts that guide program development and delivery.

Methods: UME faculty and staff develop programs based on thorough community needs assessment.

Various stakeholders provide input and ongoing feedback in the programs' planning, implementation, and evaluation.

We collect input and ongoing feedback using formal methods such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, and informal ways.

We will continue to collect stakeholders' input via face-to-face meetings with stakeholder groups, websites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn social media sites, state and local extension advisory council meetings, needs assessments across all program areas' existing and new clientele, community forums, focus groups and listening sessions, strategic planning committees, volunteer feedback (4-H, Master Gardener, Master Naturalists, etc.), involvement in civic organizations, summits and symposia hosted and organized by AGNR.

Input from Maryland's residents will be solicited through the Statewide Extension Advisory Council (SEAC) and local, county-based advisory councils.

Our personnel will utilize several program delivery modes, such as in-person, hybrid, and virtual, to conduct workshops, webinars, and fieldwork.

We also use indirect methods such as videos, social media posts, factsheets, publications, blogs, and outreach materials to address the critical issues.

We will evaluate the effectiveness of programs to see their knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills.

Evaluation and feedback help us improve the program planning, development, and implementation.

We continue to work in communities to affect positive change and to set priorities for impacting the future.

University Of Maryland

NOT APPLICABLE

10.511 - Smith-Lever Funding (Various Programs)

Institute of Food Production and Sustainability (IFPS) [USDA - NIFA]

College Park, Maryland 20742 United States

Single Zip Code

USDA-NIFA-10511-SLBCDXXX-25-0001

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 807% from $810,619 to $7,352,962.