Non Technical Summary
As a unique land-grant that is also a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), the University of Arizona (UA) Cooperative Extension is well-placed to begin work that dually strengthens the nation's agricultural workforce and impacts the development of other industry workforces through collaboration with our federally funded community nutrition education programs. To align the program with workforce development and nutrition security goals, the inaugural Community Nutrition Education Conference will be held in Tucson, Arizona on November 18th and 19th, 2024. All FTE across the state that work with EFNEP and/or SNAP-Ed will be in attendance. Further students will be invited to participate as an introduction to Extension and community nutrition education as a practice.The goal of the conference is to create synergy with UA Cooperative Extension's SNAP-Education and EFNEP programs to train, extend reach, and build capacity. The conference will also reach across campus to non-nutrition Extension programs to share resources and build collective impact with the end goal of creating strong local food systems, decreasing nutrition insecurity, and increasing well-being in the communities served across the state. The overarching objective of this conference is to provide professional development opportunities to Community Nutrition Education Program educators and stakeholders thereby establishing gains in workforce development and nutrition security through collective impact.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
703	6099	3020	100%

Knowledge Area
703 - Nutrition Education and Behavior;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal of the conference is to create synergy with UA Cooperative Extension's SNAP-Education and EFNEP programs to train, extend reach, and build capacity. The conference will also reach across campus to non-nutrition Extension programs to share resources and build collective impact with the end goal of creating strong local food systems, decreasing nutrition insecurity, and increasing well-being in the communities served across the state.

Project Methods
Efforts:Conference for SNAP-Ed, EFNEP, and students that incorporates frontline nutrition workforce developmentthrough implementation science, national speakers, and opportunities to launch as community of practice around HSI Land-grants and Nutrition Workforce Development, increase services to underserved communities utilizing Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) and work toward submission from the findings and outcomes of CBPAR foran AFRI SEED grant opportunities.There is a need to develop a conference to engage the University of Arizona's Community Nutrition Education Program's frontline workforce in skill development and strategic planning around nutrition security. Further, the program seeks to align with national goals including increasing program quality and advancement through conference activities such as networking, resource dissemination, and exposure to best practices in the field. Long term the outcomes from this conference would inform future research and Extension projects on workforce development and building sustainable and accessible food systems in challenging environments. In the short term, the conference would begin to develop synergies between SNAP-Ed and EFNEP and create a frontline nutrition workforce that is confident in their mission to reach historically underserved communities across the state and nation.Evaluation:Expected Data TypeThe proposal includes a varied data collection plan including demographic data, survey data, and qualitative response data. The data collection plan involves:Administrative tracking tools - PEARS System, surveys, Community of Practice Social Media Site, Semi-Annual Report Narratives, and WebNEERS will be used to collect impact and programmatic data from efforts stemming directly from attendance and participation in the conference.Student and Extension Professional and Staff feedback - in a format determined after recruitment to be suitable for members (e.g., focus group vs. survey), CRED will gather feedback from the Food Council about their experiences after the conference and their implementation of skills learned at the conference.Data FormatData format will include being housed in Qualtrics and the PEARS reporting system through Canopy at Kansas State University, which can then be accessed via Excel and other statistical and qualitative analysis software packages including Atlas.ti and SPSS.Data Storage and PreservationData will be stripped of any personal identifiers and stored in secure software programs that are password protected. Any existing paper responses to evaluations including surveys or qualitative data will be stored in locked file cabinets at the University of Arizona in buildings and offices requiring keys and passcodes to enter. Data will be preserved following USDA NIFA guidelines of 3 years after the final financial report (SF-425) is submitted.Data Sharing, Protection, and Public AccessAll data, evaluation, and reports will be shared with USDA NIFA in accordance with their policies, requirements, and timelines. Reports will be disseminated back to Extension Professionals and Staff to provide insight into the continued efforts of workforce development and nutrition security. Further, data and reports will be submitted to the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension Program. Program results and outcomes will also be used to present at conferences and to determine next steps in sustaining the proposal's efforts to build a skilled nutrition frontline workforce and increase food security across the state.Roles and ResponsibilitiesThe project director, co-investigator, and CRED team will oversee the evaluation plan, data collection, analysis, and storage for the AFRI Conference project. The project director will ensure that the project is on task and in compliance with USDA NIFA's guidelines and the project's timeline. The CRED team will supervise the implementation of the evaluation plan and tools, as well as analysis for reports and program management. The co-investigator will provide oversight of the program activities and markets where evaluation and data collection will be occurring.