In this week’s issue:

• Quarterly Conversation
• Extension Borrowables
• Extension Web Update
• Diversity Highlights
• Extension in the news

Quarterly Conversation

The August Quarterly Conversation is now available for viewing. If you would like to take a closer look, the slides are available for download. Topics of the conversation include the following (numbers denote where you will find the segment on the video):

• Bright Spots (Anita Azarenko and Lindsey Shirley) – Highlights and celebration of the work our people are doing across the state (1:16)
• Leadership Update (Anita Azarenko and Amanda Bielenberg) – Anita shared information about her background and provided an update on status of Extension Director position and reflections on her five weeks in the Division. Amanda shared exciting news about new features at Extension Annual Conference. (9:50)
• Language Access (Ana Lu Fonseca and Jennifer Alexander) – Language access is the strategic and systematic management of multilingual communication. Transport, an easy online translation portal, was introduced. (32:30)
• Navigator (Jennifer Alexander) – A status update on the Navigator initiative and highlights since the May Quarterly Conversation. Learn more and sign up for updates at beav.es/navigator. (55:05)
• The Water Initiative (Dave Hansen) – The Water Initiative Team is making recommendations on how best to coordinate water initiatives across Extension. Click here to see the report. (1:12:20)

Extension Borrowables

EESC is raising awareness of Extension at various events. In the process, the department is accumulating various items that might be useful for county offices and others as they promote the services of Extension. The newest items for the borrowable inventory are six 3-ft x 4-ft vinyl banners featuring the four thematic areas of Extension. Three of the banners fit in a 10-ft wide booth space and can be hung with hooks or rope. Mix and match or use all six. To request the use of the banners or other borrowables, contact Sandy Reichhuber.

Extension Web Update

This week’s blog  goes over next steps and time commitments to get to our next goal, CRM practice. How and when will we get there.

Diversity Highlights

Please contact analu.fonseca@oregonstate.edu with any questions, and if you have suggestions for content to include in Diversity Highlights.

Statewide Events & Resources

Special Education: What You Need to Know
This FREE info session includes an introduction to key special education definitions and developing a successful individualized education program. Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at 2019 A. Main Street, Baker City, Oregon.

Race and White Women (non-men) at Work
Transformational Conversations about Racism, Oppression, & Getting Free Together. Saturday, August 24 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Oregon State University Native American Longhouse Ena Haws. $149 workshop fee, includes materials.

Volunteer opportunity for Fall 2019 – New International Students Orientation Week: Engage with new international students and help welcome the new Beavers from around the world during Fall 2019 Orientation Week. For more information and to sign up go here. Volunteer training day (required for all volunteers): September 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ILLC 155. Volunteering dates: New students move-in day: Sept. 16-17. Orientation week: Sept. 18-24. Different volunteer shifts available to fit your schedule. For more information or questions, contact Carla Portugal at  intl.orientation@oregonstate.edu or go to the INTO OSU website.

In the News

Students With Disabilities Deserve Inclusion. It’s Also the Best Way to Teach (Education Week)
“Students with disabilities face substantially increased rates of abuse and restraint in schools. As an education and disability advocate seeking to change that, I frequently encounter well-meaning arguments for separating higher-needs students from the general population.”

Study finds health research disparities for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians (KLCC)
Oregon State University PhD candidate Lan Doan found that over the past 26 years the NIH has allocated 0.17 percent of its budget toward 529 studies.

Child care crisis: Famillies struggle with rising child care costs, finding safe providers (Statesman Journal)
According to the report “Oregon’s Child Care Deserts” by Oregon State University, these costs equated to more than $14,000 a year for toddler care at a center. “The big thing we’ve seen change is the affordability of care,” said Megan Pratt, assistant professor of practice at OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences and one of the report’s authors.

Extension in the news

Dormant-season grazing eyed as tool in reducing fire risk
Capital Press
In a 25,000-acre study area east of Owyhee Reservoir, cattle numbers traditionally are reduced before Nov. 1 — right around the time perennial grasses go dormant and temperatures become nearly perfect for germination of invasive cheatgrass and medusahead, Oregon State University Extension rangeland and livestock specialist Sergio Arispe said.

Nuts for hazelnuts: growers can’t keep up with demand
Capital Press
“The demand for hazelnut trees is huge,” said Jay Pscheidt, an Extension plant pathologist at Oregon State University.

February snowstorms pummeled Oregon research forest, opened door to Douglas-fir beetles
KVAL
“This year was pretty epic,” said David Shaw, a silviculture Extension agent in the Oregon State University College of Forestry, “because it was heavy, wet snow.”