Source: MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV submitted to NRP
SRDC BASE FUNDING FY22
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1028890
Grant No.
2022-51150-38142
Cumulative Award Amt.
$599,100.00
Proposal No.
2022-05426
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2022
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2024
Grant Year
2022
Program Code
[UU.R]- Rural Development Centers
Recipient Organization
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MISSISSIPPI STATE,MS 39762
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) has three priorities identified and endorsed by its Technical and Operational Advisory Committee and Board of Directors. Also, the region's diverse Land-Grant Universities provide a strong foundation for addressing some of the long-standing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access challenges. SRDC priorities are to: (1) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities. SRDC will Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities by: (a) facilitating priority setting for rural development, (b) supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative, (c) working with the National Digital Education Extension Team and a team of 1890 partners to help address the digital divide, (d) enhancing heirs' property research and Extension collaboration and (e) expanding dialogues on race and ethnicity through Coming Together for Racial Understanding. For priority two, Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC will (a) lead CREATE BRIDGES designed to strengthen rural retail economies, (b) expand training for rural communities alongside the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, (c) aid the Extension Disaster Education Network in developing relevant materials, (d) support the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, and (e) coordinate the Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report. For priority three, Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities, SRDC will (a) co-lead with the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging in relevant research and outreach efforts, and (b) examine issues at the intersections of existing SRDC initiatives and insights from listening session data.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6086050301025%
6086099308025%
8056050301025%
8056099308025%
Knowledge Area
805 - Community Institutions, Health, and Social Services; 608 - Community Resource Planning and Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other; 6050 - Communities, areas, and regions;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics; 3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
Unique to the Southern Region which the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) serves, each state has both an 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant University (LGU) presence. Additionally, Oklahoma has one 1994 LGU. This foundation provides opportunities for working to address some of the long-standing challenges related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. Many of the efforts of this year's plan of work were crafted with this in mind. The SRDC will continue to focus on three priorities that impact the sustainability of rural communities, as identified by the SRDC Technical and Operational Advisory Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The priorities are to: (1) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities.The Center will continue to Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities through: (a) engagement in community priority setting for rural development which can aid in identifying critical needs of underserved areas, (b) supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative working to address challenges such as food insecurities, (c) facilitating increased broadband access and adoption by working with the National Digital Education Extension Team and a network of 1890 partners developing and piloting efforts to address the digital divide, (d) enhancing research and Extension collaboration around heirs' property issues which disproportionately challenges people of color, and (e) expanding civil dialogue efforts concerning race and ethnicity through the Coming Together for Racial Understanding initiative. For the second priority, Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC will (a) continue shepherding CREATE BRIDGES designed to explore opportunities to strengthen rural retail which often makes up a large portion of rural employment and often accounts for over 25% of the workforce opportunities in rural places, (b) expand rural resources to promote prosperity in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, focusing on needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and communities, (c) assist with developing materials for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), (d) support regional collaboration through the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, and (e) coordinate the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report. For the third priority to Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities, the Center will (a) serve in co-leadership capacity with the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging in its research and outreach efforts and help translate research for Extension audiences, and (b) examine issues at the intersections of existing SRDC initiatives and insights from listening session data, with a particular focus on issues related to disparities.
Project Methods
Developing Pathways to Resilient CommunitiesCommunity Priority SettingContinue analysis and reporting from the national priority survey conducted in collaboration between the four Regional Rural Development CentersHost one regional listening sessionHost one high priority topic national listening sessionDevelop and disseminate reports and infographics with diverse audiencesLocal & Regional Food Systems (SERA 47) - Continue to facilitate progress on the group's efforts with the 5-year plan and following objectives:Develop a network of food system Extension and research professionals to share best practices, coordinate regional efforts, and generate new knowledgeIdentify current and emerging issues specific to food system development in the Southern region.Explore policy and economic development opportunities and best practices for communities across the regionBroadband Access and Adoption - Work centers in two realms:Facilitate the work of the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) alongside the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Program Action Team. Efforts include work to:Develop a resource repository for Extension materialsOrganize a community of practice to connect LGU professionals (Extension and Research) engaged in related effortsDevelop a community access toolkit to help Extension with community organizing around broadband accessDesign a digital literacy toolkit to help Extension professionals promote relevant skills across program areasResearch the impacts of broadband use on quality of lifeCollaborate with 1890 Land-Grant System to build capacity to aid underserved communities in digital access (AFRI grant)Heirs' PropertyExpand the resource repository related to heirs' propertySupport working groups on Research, Education and Outreach, and Policy and Legal issuesContinue coordination of the AFRI grant The Racial Wealth Gap, Persistent Poverty, and Heirs' Property: Analysis, Connections, SolutionsComing Together for Racial UnderstandingSupport the 31 states that have trained Coming Together state teamsBuild capacity for Coming Together dialogues through additional training for new states plus capacity building for existing statesEvaluate Coming Together impacts and lessons learnedSupport the ECOP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Program Action TeamEngage with NIFA on co-learningStrengthen DEI efforts in the Southern LGU SystemBuilding Strategic PartnershipsCREATE BRIDGES - Continue efforts with the six pilot states to explore ways to strengthen the retail economic sector in rural places, and generate a final reportUSDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement - Complete the cooperative agreement which includes two tasks: (1) survey current needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, (2) developing a coaching workshop to build capacity for organizations supporting underserved communitiesExtension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) - Based on listening sessions conducted in 2020-21, assist with generating materials to highlight this effort and the work of EDEN moving forwardSouthern Region Program Leadership Network (PLN) - Continue to support the annual work of PLN along with helping support the Program Leadership Committee's efforts to plan for the annual joint meetingSouthern Region Community Resource Development (CRD) Indicators - Facilitate gathering and reporting of southern region CRD indicatorsMobilizing Resources around Emerging Issues and OpportunitiesInterdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging - Continue collaboration and co-leadership with other institutions to:Provide follow-up mentorship to pilot grantees and early career scholarsFinalize and disseminate scholarly articlesDevelop and host a proposal writing workshop for research collaboration among traditionally underfunded organizationsWork with the W4001/5001 multi-state group to organize a policy symposium on rural population change and collaborative follow up research and dissemination to inform outreach and ExtensionExamine Intersections of Existing Programs & Listening Sessions Data with key topics relevant to the South, including housing, disaster, COVID-19 impacts, grant writing/management skills, and workforce development

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/28/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences for the work in this effort are the faculty and professional staff of the southern region's 30 Land-Grant Universities (LGU), including 1862 and 1890 institutions, and one 1994 institution. Other audiences include the partners of the southern LGU system, including faculty and professional staff in other regions of the country, other public colleges and universities, state economic and social development agencies, local community stakeholders, governmental policy makers at all levels, policy analysis organizations, and non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Of particular interest is connecting with and advancing the capacity of diverse organizations helping to address equity and accessibility in rural development endeavors. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? 09/15-16/2023 - Annual meeting of the W5001 Multi-State Project/Rural Population Research Network, Nashville, TN. 10/03-05/2023 - Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Atlanta, GA. 10/15-19/2023 - Advancing Digital Access: Extension Capacity Building Train the Trainer Workshop, Salt Lake City, UT. 10/19/2023 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative: Advancing Digital Access, Salt Lake City, UT. 11/08/2023 - Continuing Conversations on Collaborations Among 1994, 1890, and 1862 Institutions, Webinar. 11/06-08/2023 - Delta Scholars Program Boston Conference, Boston, MA. 11/08-10/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Puerto Rico. 12/05/2023 - BEAD Broadband Navigator Mapping Tool, Webinar. 12/11/2023 - Annual meeting of the SERA-47 Multi-State Project/Local and Regional Food Systems, Virtual. 02/02/2024 - Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA) Proposal Writing Workshop. Atlanta, GA. Collaborations between 1890 and 1862 Land-Grants - Lessons Learned (Multiple Presentations): 02/15/2024, Extension Leadership Conference, Tampa, Poster. 02/04-06/2024, Southern Rural Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Public Issues Leadership Development. 02/06/2024 - Heirs' Property Ethics Focus Group Delphi/Focus Group Study, Atlanta, GA. 02/21-22/2024 - Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Birmingham, AL. Five Part Series (03/12, 03/26, 04/09, 04/16, 04/23), Moving DEIA Forward in NIFA, Cohort 5, Webinar. 02/28/2024 - National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resource Conservation Service Employees. Heirs' Property Ethics Focus Group, Charllotte, NC. 03/12 - 04/23/2024. Moving DEIA Forward (Cohort 5) - Training series developed and tested in collaboration with USDA NIFA. Online. 04/02-04/2024 - Digital Volunteer Initiative, Atlanta, GA. 04/11/2024, Community Development for Extension Professionals: Frameworks, Case Studies, and Where to Get Started, Webinar. 06/04-06/2024, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Houston, TX. 06/17/2024 - National Program Leaders Pre-Conference Workshop, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Houston, TX. 06/20/2024 - Digital Volunteer Initiative, Houston, TX. 06/26-27/2024 - Delta Regional Forum. Clarksdale, MS. 08/19-22/2024 - Program Leadership Network Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Zooms and in-person meetings- Southern Region Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meetings (10/11/2023; 12/13/2023; 02/14/2024; 04/10/2024; 06/12/2024; 07/10/2024, 08/20-22/2024). Monthly Calls National Digital Extension Education Team. Program Leadership Committee Joint Meeting. Heirs' Ethics Committee. Bridging the Digital Divide AFRI. Heirs Property and Persistent Poverty AFRI Project (2.13.24, 3.12.24, 4.9.24, 5.14.24). Coming Together teams (State teams, National leaders, Research team). CREATE BRIDGES team. Regional Rural Development Centers meetings. NACDEP Board of Directors monthly call - RRDC representative. ECOP DEI Program Action Team monthly calls. ECOP Program Committee monthly calls. Quarterly calls TOAC (1.8.23, 4.8.23, 8.8.23). 09/ 19-21/2024 - SRDC Board of Directors and TOAC meeting, Starkville, MS. 11/13/2023 - BEAD Broadband Navigator: Empowering Data-Driven Local Projects, "Local Project Creation Panel," The Rockefeller Foundation, New York City, NY. NACDEP Southern Region (01/11/2024; 04/05/2024; 06/18/2024). SERA 47 (local/regional foods). Tea & Coffee Hour - SERA-47 Local and Regional Food Systems Working Group (06/13/2024). 01/25/2024 - Southern Rural Development Center briefing for the joint meetings of the Association of 1890 Extension Administrators and the Association of 1890 Research Directors, Nashville, TN. 03/26/2024 - Southern Rural Development Center briefing for the spring meeting of the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, Lexington, KY. 08/19 - 22/2024. Southern Region Program Leadership Network Joint Meeting. Charlotte, NC. 08/2023. CREATE BRIDGES Issue briefs. Issue Brief No. Series: CREATE BRIDGES 23. Listservs: Coming Together (all teams, national leaders, research team), CREATE BRIDGES, SERA 47 (local/regional foods), SERA 49 (Heirs' Property). Around the South Newsletter (monthly). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) helped build capacity among the 30 southern Land-Grant 1862, 1890, and 1994 institutions. This involved research, Extension, and integrated efforts crossing organizational and state boundaries. Work was guided by SRDC's Technical and Operational Advisory Committee and Board of Directors, and updates were provided to these bodies as well as the 1862 and 1890 Extension and Experiment Station/Research Directors' organizations and the Southern Region Program Leadership Network (PLN), composed of 1890 and 1862 professionals. Accomplishments under the three priorities are summarized below: Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, Build Strategic Partnerships, and Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities. Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities: Engaging in priority setting for rural development to aid in identifying critical needs of underserved areas: Previously, SRDC worked with the other Regional Rural Development Centers on a national survey and series of listening sessions focused on rural priorities. This year, the SRDC helped coordinate listening sessions with the Rural Population Research Network focused on the demographic research needs expressed by Extension professionals. A face-to-face session was held in Nashville partnering with Tennessee State Univ. and the Univ. of Tennessee, and the others were held virtually with participation from around the nation. Supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative: The SRDC helped to organize the annual virtual meeting, supported a special session at the in-person Southern Rural Sociological Association conference (Atlanta, GA), and assisted with leadership recruitment. Facilitating increased broadband access and adoption with the National Digital Education Extension Team and a network of 1890 partners working to address the digital divide: SRDC coordinated two national train-the-trainer workshops (Salt Lake City, UT and Atlanta, GA), and helped develop and revise the curricula. SRDC partnered with five 1890 universities for the AFRI-funded pilot projects. An evaluation tool was developed and used by the pilot partners. Enhancing research/Extension collaboration on heirs' property: Working with the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center and the Southern Risk Management Education Center, SRDC and a diverse team of colleagues refined and delivered three (Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL, and Houston, TX) train-the-trainer workshops to prepare professionals to educate families on heirs' property prevention and resolution. Additional curricula support focused on land use and heirs' property navigation, and an ethics focused research and curriculum project was started in partnership with the Policy Center with support through the JP Morgan Chase Foundation. The AFRI research project investigating linkages among heirs' property, persistent poverty, and the racial wealth gap was continued, including webinars. SRDC supported the new Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA-49) initiative on heirs' property. Expanding civil dialogue efforts around race through the Coming Together for Racial Understanding initiative: SRDC supported state training teams through monthly calls which involved addressing challenges and providing additional training. One Basics training was conducted in 2024 - the first step in becoming aComing Togetherfacilitator. One Beyond the Basics training was conducted in fall 2023; this training upskilled facilitators to the level of state training team facilitators. These trainings allowed for new dialogue facilitators to grow their skills for leading future sessions. In 2024, the national leadership team forComing Together held a meeting to discuss curriculum updates and training needs for the state training teams. SRDC also delivered the final pilot cohort series for a training created to aid in developing strategies to foster more inclusive and welcoming spaces. TheComing Togetherresearch team published three issue briefs on issues related to the dialogue efforts: the importance of leadership, how facilitating dialogues on race is fostering systemic change, and a view of emergent changes through ripple effect mapping. 2) Build Strategic Partnerships: CREATE BRIDGES, a planning process designed to strengthen rural retail which often makes up a large portion of rural employment, was piloted in six states. With SRDC's leadership and support from Walmart, the pilot region participants completed needs assessments, strategic planning, and strategy implementation for strengthening businesses and workforce members of retail and tourism sectors. Evaluation conducted in 2023 revealed that each state has plans for continued support for retail and tourism sectors in each region; trainings offered to workforce members positively impacted businesses; and trainings led to individuals gaining employment, feeling more valued by employers, and taking steps toward careers in retail sectors. Six briefs and extended publications were released in 2023, focusing on economic data in the CREATE regions. In 2024, the national coaching team published a curriculum housed on SRDC's website that other community development professionals can implement in rural communities. Expanding rural resources to promote prosperity in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement (OPPE), focusing on needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and communities: SRDC completed this work in the previous year, so no new activities took place during the past year. The grant writing curriculum was adapted and offered to a cohort of 1890 Extension collaborators with support from the Extension Foundation and a group of researchers from both 1862 and 1890 institutions as part of an effort with support through the National Institute on Aging. Assisting with developing materials for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): SRDC finalized work on this during the previous year; no new activities took place during the past year. Supporting regional collaboration through the Southern Region Program Leadership Network (SRPLN): SRDC supported the SRPLN annual joint meeting. The in-person meeting falls in August each year. The 2023 meeting was held in Orlando, FL, and the 2024 meeting was held in Charlotte, NC. There is year-round activity, given committee work (SRDC supports efforts of the eight work groups on their regional plans) and website and listserv support. Coordinating the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report: SRDC compiled the 2023 report through data gathered from southern CRD State Program Leaders. SRDC also participated in a national workshop (organized by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development) focused on updating the indicators. This work was continued as part of the 2024 National Assoc. of Community Development Extension Professionals pre-conference Program Leaders meeting that the SRDC helped to coordinate. 3) Mobilize Resources Around Emerging Issues and Opportunities: As one of four co-leads with the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging, SRDC worked with Co-PIs to review and award seed funding proposals, provide mentorship for early career researchers, organize and facilitate a proposal writing workshop, participate in the annual INRPHA meeting, and engage with kindred organizations, including the Southern Rural Sociological Association and Association of 1890 Research Directors. The SRDC also contributed to proposal development for renewing funding through the National Institute on Aging. Examining issues at the intersections of existing SRDC initiatives and insights from listening session data, with a particular focus on issues related to disparities: Engaging with leadership from 1890 research and Extension, the SRDC 1890s Fellow position was created and filled.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Bozeman, K., Green, J., Leach, K., Scammahorn, R., and Welborn, R. (2024, June 20). Digital volunteer initiative [Conference presentation]. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Houston, TX. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Dunfee, L., Harmon, M., Scammahorn, R., Stewart, K., and Zies, S. (2024, April 22-24). Creating a culture of laughter [Conference presentation]. North Central Leadership Conference, Fargo, ND. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J. (2024, January 31). Population characteristics and trends relevant to Mississippi colleges and universities. Mississippi Senate, Colleges and Universities Subcommittee, Virtual. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J. (2024, February 21). Population characteristics and trends relevant to Mississippi colleges and universities. Enrollment Cliff Meeting, Mississippi State University, Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State, MS. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J. (2024, July 31). Bridging the digital divide in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in the south. U.S. Department Agriculture, NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Project Directors Meeting, New Orleans, LA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. J. (2023, November 14). Demography, population change, and rural communities. Investing in Rural Prosperity: Successful Approaches to Demographic Shifts Conference, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, MO. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J., & Jensen, L. (2024, April 9). Rural population health and aging across the life course: Building national research capacity to include scholars at 1890 institutions. Special session at the Association of 1890 Research Directors Biennial Research Symposium, Nashville, TN. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, E., Johnson, K., Green, J. J., & Anderson, T. (2024, July 26). Building leadership for improving communities in the multi-state Delta region. Rural Sociological Society, Madison, WI. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J., & McCullough, S. (2024, April 16). Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Broadband and Digital Access Program Action Team. Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leaders Conference, Arlington, VA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J., Scammahorn, R., and Welborn, R. (2024, June 18). Understanding and addressing heirs property: Implications for community development [Conference presentation]. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Houston, TX. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J., Scammahorn, R., and Woods, K. (2024, February 28). Heirs property/ethics research for landowners focus group [Facilitators]. NOPBNRCSE Minority Farmers Conference, Charlotte, NC. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J., Welborn, R., & Scammahorn, R. (2024, April 16). Pursuing collaborations that work: Explorations and lessons learned from 1890 and 1862 efforts. Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leaders Conference, Arlington, VA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Harmen, M. and Scammahorn, R. (2024, May 6-8). Creating a culture of laughter [Conference presentation]. Association of Natural Resources Extension, Hershey, PA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Harmen, M. and Scammahorn, R. (2024, May 16). Creating a culture of laughter [Invited Presenter]. University of Florida IFAS Extension and Floridia A&M university Cooperative Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences and Community Resource Development Summit, Gainesville, FL. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Jensen, L., Green, J. J., & Monnat, S. (2024, February 3). The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging and demystifying NIH grants. Southern Rural Sociological Association, Atlanta, GA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Kay, D., McCullough, S. & Green, J. J. (2024, April 15). Community development 101. Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leaders Conference, Arlington, VA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Kelly, P., Rhubart, D., Brant, K., Green, J. J., Curtis, K., De Koff, J., Upendram, S., & Green, E. (2024, July 27). Future directions for rural population research: Findings from the Rural Population Research Networks stakeholder listening sessions. Rural Sociological Society, Madison, WI. NIFA Support Acknowledged. Mathews, B., Hashemi, E., Bowen, B., & Kennedy, Z. (2024). CREATE BRIDGES: Celebrating Retail Accommodations, Tourism and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Presentation at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, June 20, 2024, Houston, TX. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: McCullough, S., Siems, S., Davis, A., Odum, S., Patrick, J. M., Jakes, S., Welborn, R., Langford, G., Fraser, M., Mathews, B., Hashemi, E., Bowen, B., & Kennedy, Z. (2024, June). CREATE BRIDGES: Celebrating Retail Accommodations, Tourism and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Presentation at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, June 20, 2024, Houston, TX. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: McCullough, S., Siems, S., Davis, A., Odum, S., Patrick, J. M., Jakes, S., Welborn, R., Langford, G., Fraser, M., Scammahorn, R. (2024, March 27). Self-care for the caregiver [Invited Presenter]. Self-Care-Society and Ohio University, Webinar. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Scammahorn, R. E. (Moderator), Copeland, A., Pappin, N., and Huycke, G. (Panelists). (2023, November 13). Local project creation panel [Panel discussion]. BEAD Broadband Navigator: Empowering data-driven local projects. The Rockefeller Foundation, New York City, NY. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Scammahorn, R. E., and Harmon, M. (2024, February 14-15). Creating a year-round culture of laughter [Conference presentation]. JCEP Extension Leadership Conference, Orlando, FL. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. CREATE BRIDGES: Celebrating Retail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies-phase 2: 2024 national giving impact report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES. Submitted May 21, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Scammahorn, R. E., Rupp, M., Zies, S., Jenkins, M., and Jackson, S. (2023, November 29). Jazzed about Real Money. Real world experiential learning [Conference presentation]. Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education National Conference, New Orleans, LA. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Smith, B., Brewer, T., Carter, R., Green, J. J., & Mills, D. (2023, September 7). Optimizing community resource development efforts. Mississippi Association of Extension 4-H Agents/Mississippi Association of County Agriculture Agens Joint Conference, Oxford, MS. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Tickamyer, A., Zhou, S., Seelig, J., Schafft, K., Wornell, E., Ransom, E., Mooney, P., Jensen, L., Green, J. J., Chi, G., Becot, F., Robinson, J., Neis-Eldridge, A., & Sachs, C. (2024, July 26). Authors meet readers: The research handbook of rural sociology. Rural Sociological Society, Madison, WI. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. Strengthening retail in rural America: 2024 long report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES. Submitted April 15, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Scammahorn, R. E. (Author & Presenter), Holmes, P. (Author). (2023, November 15). Understanding grief when the loss isnt something tangible: Why mourning change is necessary  a workshop for family caregivers [Webinar]. Area Agency on Aging, Dayton, OH. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Seitz, M. (2023). Measuring the impact economic pull factors have on the tier status of the CREATE BRIDGES counties in Western North Carolina (Extended Publication No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-6) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/ 2023-09/CREATEBRIDGES-Long_WesternNCCountyTradePullFactorsandTierDesignations_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Seitz, M. (2023). Using county trade pull factor analyses to measure retail growth in the CREATE BRIDGES counties of North Carolina (Issue Brief No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-6) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/CREATEBRIDGES-Brief-WesternNCCountyTradePullFactors-SRDC-CTPF_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2024 Citation: Diaz, J., Narine, L., & Gusto, C. (in press). Evaluating the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cooperative extension system. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education. a. Site where it will be published: Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education | Kansas State University Libraries (newprairiepress.org)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Diaz, J., Narine, L., & Greenhaw L., (in review). Assessing transformative leadership beliefs and values of cooperative extension leaders. Journal of Leadership Education.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Green, J. J. (2024). Rural development in the digital age: Exploring information and communication technology through social inclusion. Rural Sociology, 89(2), 185-194. doi: 10.1111/ruso.12542
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: ODonnell, L., Green, J. J., Hill, E., & ODonnell, M. (2024). Biocultural and social determinants of ill health and early mortality in a New Mexican pediatric autopsy sample. Journal of Biosocial Science, Online 1-22. doi: 10.1017/S0021932024000129
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Zabawa, R., Green, J. J., & Sweeney, E. (Eds.). (2023). Special issue on heirs property. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38(1). https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/iss1/3/
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J.; Welborn, R.; Eley, M. (2023) Collaborations that work: Analysis of successful extension efforts between 1890 and 1862 land-grant institutions. SRDC:MS State.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Siems, S., Langford, G., & Dunn, J.. (Eds.). (2024). CREATE BRIDGES Project: Celebrating retail, accommodations, tourism, and entertainment by building rural innovations and developing growth economies. Overview Handout. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University & Southern Rural Development Center (Eds.). (2024). Breaking barriers: Examining heirs property legislation and access to USDA programs. Southern Rural Development Center: MS State. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/srdctopics-breakingbarriers/. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Arkansas retail trade analysis (Extended Publication No. CREATE BRIDGES 23- 1) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https:// srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/ files/2023-09/ArkansasRetailTradeAnalysis_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Illinois retail trade analysis (Issue Brief No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-2) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https:// srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/IllinoisRetailTradeAnalysisBrief_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Kentucky retail trade analysis (Extended Publication No. CREATE BRIDGES 23- 3) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https:// srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/KentuckyRetailTradeAnalysis_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Kentucky retail trade analysis (Issue Brief No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-3) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/KentuckyRetailTradeAnalysisBrief_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). New Mexico retail trade analysis (Extended Publication No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-4) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/NewMexicoRetailTradeAnalysis_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Arkansas retail trade analysis (Issue Brief No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-1) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https:// srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/ArkansasRetailTradeAnalysisBrief_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Illinois retail trade analysis (Extended Publication No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-2) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https:// srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/IllinoisRetailTradeAnalysis_ Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). New Mexico retail trade analysis (Issue Brief No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-4) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/NewMexicoRetailTradeAnalysisBrief_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Oklahoma retail trade analysis (Extended Publication No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-5) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/OklahomaRetailTradeAnalysis_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Upendram, S. & Mingie, J. (2023). Oklahoma retail trade analysis (Issue Brief No. CREATE BRIDGES 23-5) (G. Langford, Ed.). Mississippi State University, MS: Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/OklahomaRetailTradeAnalysisBrief_Final.pdf. NIFA Support Acknowledged.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Welborn, R., Green, J., & Langford, G. (2024). Moving DEIA Forward in NIFA: 2023 Summary Report. Project report to USDA NIFA. Submitted June 13, 2024. NIFA support acknowledged.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Mathews, B., Hashemi, E., Bowen, B., & Kennedy, Z. (2024). CREATE BRIDGES: Celebrating Retail Accommodations, Tourism and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Presentation at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, June 20, 2024, Houston, TX. NIFA Support Acknowledged.


Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences for the work accomplished in this effort are the faculty and professional staffs of the southern regions 30 land grant universities. Other audiences of the program include the partners of the southern land grant university system, including faculty and professional staffs of the land grant university system in other regions of the country, state economic and social development agencies, local community stakeholders, governmental policy makers at all levels, policy analytical organizations, and non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Changes/Problems:As we navigate the new 1890 relationship-building position, SRDC has worked very closely with developing a model alongside the Executive Directors of the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Research Directors. This has taken three rounds of shaping and reshaping as we navigate this new opportunity. We are hopeful that future funding could help support this work in a sustained manner What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?9/19-20/2022, Building Community Around Grant Writing, Virtual. 10/3/20222, Understanding the Digital Equity Landscape and Extensions Role, Virtual. 10/25-26/2022, Coming Together for Racial Understanding Convening. Atlanta, GA. 10/31/2022, Broadband Issues Briefing-Part I, Virtual. 11/8-9/2022, Curriculum Development Meeting. Oklahoma City, OK. 11/21/2022, Broadband Issues Briefing-Part II, Virtual. 11/29-30/2022, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Atlanta, GA. 12/5/2022, Broadband Issues Briefing, Part III, Virtual. 12/6/2022, National Community Resource and Economic Development (CRED) Working Group Webinar- "Success Stories from the Pandemic", Virtual. 12/14-16/2022, SERA-47 2022 Annual Meeting, Virtual. 1/11/2023, Strengthening Meaningful Relationships among 1994, 1890, and 1862 Institutions: A Starting Point, Virtual. 11/15/2023, Building capacity to write winning grants. Workshop at the annual meeting of the Professional Agricultural Workers. Montgomery, AL. 2/3 - 4/2023, SOUL Coming Together Facilitator Training, Starkville, MS. 2/21 - 22/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Arlington, VA. 3/20-4/27/2023, SOUL Coming Together for Racial Understanding dialogues, Starkville, MS. 3/21-6/28/2023, Building Grant Writing Capacity training series, Virtual. 3/27/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level (Overview & Prevention), Chicago, IL. Moving DEIA Forward - Training series developed and tested in collaboration with USDA NIFA. Five cohorts with each meeting over five weeks. Virtual. Cohort 1 - March 29 - April 26 Cohort 2: May 2 - May 30 Cohort 3: June 7 - July 5 Cohort 4: July 11 - August 8 Cohort 5: August 23 - Sept. 20 4/5/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level (Resolution), Virtual. 4/7 - 5/12/2023, Coming Together for Racial Understanding Affinity Guide Pilot, Virtual. 4/19/2023, Advancing knowledge about climate resilience and population change: Roles for social scientists in Experiment Station research. Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, Spring Meeting, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS. 5/6 - 7/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Dallas, TX. 5/8/2023, Community Resource and Economic Development Indicators Working Group Webinar: "Communicating Our Impacts", Virtual. 6/22/2023, Preparing for the 2023 Southern Region Program Leaders Network Joint Meeting: A Briefing of State Program Leaders' Committee Chairs, Virtual. 6/22-23/2023, Delta Regional Forum, Clarksdale, MS. 6/26-27/2023, Project development and proposal writing, sessions I and II. Presented to the Delta Scholars Program. Mississippi State, MS. 8/17/2023, Heirs' Property. Promoting Innovation Virtual Idea Symposium, University of Kentucky, Virtual. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Quarterly calls - SRDC Board of Directors and Technical Operations & Advisory Committee quarterly calls and annual meeting (October 18-20, 2022, January 9, 11; April 11, 12; July 10,12,2023. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, monthly calls, Regional Rural Development Center updates. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Broadband and Digital Access Program Action Team. October 6, 2022, Building the capacity to invest in rural prosperity through cross-sector collaboration. Panel with the Council on Food, Agriculture, and Resource Economics, Virtual. December 5, 2022, Investing in rural recovery: Key findings from the Broadband Listening Session Report. Southern Rural Development Center. Briefing. Bi-monthly calls - Southern Region Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meetings (; October 12, 2022; December 7, 2022; February 8, 2023; April 12, 2023; June 7, 2023; July 12, 2023, August 21-24, 2023). January 23-26, 2023, Joint meeting of the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Research Directors, Hilton Head, SC. January 27, 2023, Southern Region, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. February 28, 2023, Investing in rural recovery: Key findings from the Sothern Region Listening Report. Southern Rural Development Center Briefing, Virtual. April 30 - May 3, 2023, National Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meeting and Regional Rural Development Center information booth, National Community Development Extension Professionals Conference, Coeur d'Alene, ID. May 16, 2023, SOUL Community Action Forum, Starkville, MS. August 21-24, 2023, Southern Region Program Leadership Network Joint Meeting, Orlando, FL. CREATE BRIDGES: Phase I monthly calls, September 2022 - November 2022 (last Tuesday of the month); January 2023 - August 2023 (last Monday of the month). Phase II monthly calls, September 2022 - December 2022 (second Monday of the month); January 2023 - August 2023 (last Monday of the month). SRDC maintains and disseminates information through several active listservs dedicated to specific stakeholder group needs including broadband, heirs' property, National Community Development Program Leaders, eight State Program Leader groups in the Southern Region, local/regional foods, Regional Rural Development Centers, Coming Together for Racial Understanding teams. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year, SRDC leadership and staff will continue progressing towards the goals. This plan has been informed by the SRDC's TOAC and approved by the Board of Directors, with significant input along the way from the 1862 and 1890 research and Extension regional associations, coupled with insights from the RRDC's listening sessions and the SRDC Directors visit to the 1994 Land Grant in the Southern Region. (1) Developing Pathways to Resilient Communities: Engaging in community priority setting for rural development which can aid in identifying critical needs of underserved areas: Although the RRDC's listening session initiative was wrapped up, efforts to disseminate information in the form of briefs and a journal article continue. Additionally, the SRDC is collaborating with the multi-state Rural Population Research Network (W5001) to hold listening session in fall 2023 focused on population research needs to inform Extension and rural development needs. The SRDC will continue to help facilitate work with the SERA-47 Local and Regional Food Systems multistate project. This will involve assistance with operations, supporting the annual meeting, and monitoring future opportunities. Engaging with broadband issues more widely, SRD efforts around digital access and literacy will include efforts to facilitate work of the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) alongside the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Program Action Team (curriculum development, metrics identification, research), collaboration with the 1890 system to build capacity to aid underserved communities in digital access with the existing AFRI grant, and continued publication of the Issue Briefs series. Heirs' property work will entail support for developing a regional Extension and research working group under the anticipated SERA, continued coordination of the AFRI project entitled, The Racial Wealth Gap, Persistent Poverty, and Heirs' Property: Analysis, Connections, Solutions, final publication of an heirs' property special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences, and hosting up to three train-the-trainer workshops in cooperation with the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Center. A program area with potential national reach, Coming Together for Racial Understanding efforts will continue with support for the 32 states that have trained Coming Together state teams. Additional efforts will include work to build capacity for dialogues through more training, evaluation of the impacts and lessons learned from this work dissemination through briefs, engagement with NIFA on co-learning, and broader efforts to strengthen DEI efforts in the Southern LGU System. Support the ECOP DEI Program Action Team - SRDC will be working with ECOP to transition to a new co-leadership team in fall 2023. SRDC will continue to support the team's objectives including development of a repository, launching a community of practice, and hosting a webinar on collaborations that work 2) Building Strategic Partners CREATE BRIDGES will involve continued efforts with the six pilot states to explore ways to strengthen the retail economic sector in rural places. Issue briefs to be developed and disseminated that address lessons learned and recommendations for others. Expanding rural resources to promote prosperity in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, focusing on needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and communities: This part of the workplan is complete. No further activities are planned for the coming year. Assisting with developing materials for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): This part of the workplan is complete. No further activities are planned for the coming year. The SRDC will continue its long-term support and involvement with the Southern Region Program Leadership Network (PLN), including assistance with the work of PLN and the Program Leadership Committee's efforts to plan for the annual joint meeting. Facilitation of the gathering and reporting of Southern Region Community Resource Development (CRD) Indicators will continue. Summary reports will be made available and widely disseminated among partner institutions for their use. 3) Mobilizing Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities Building from the strong foundation set with SRDC involvement in the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging, work in the coming year will broaden the scope to address research and Extension efforts for supporting healthy communities across the life course. This will entail mentorship for early career scholars, pursuit of collaborative publication efforts, and organizing a proposal development workshop in collaboration with the association of 1890 Research Directors. Examining issues at the intersections of existing SRDC initiatives and insights from listening session data, with a particular focus on issues related to disparities: Drawing from presentation of listening session results and dialogue with the 1890 LGU System leadership in research and Extension, the SRDC 1890s Fellow position will be implemented

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This year the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) worked to build capacity among the thirty southern Land Grant Institutions, including 1862, 1890, and 1994 institutions. This work included research, Extension, and integrated efforts that crossed organizational and state boundaries to advance rural development efforts regionally and nationally. This work is guided by SRDC's Technical and Operational Committee and Board of Directors, and regular updates were provided to these bodies as well as the 1862 and 1890 Extension and Experiment Station/Research Directors' organizations and the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, composed of 1890 and 1862 professionals. Accomplishments under the three priorities are summarized below: (1) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities. (1) Under Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities: Engaging in community priority setting for rural development to aid in identifying critical needs of underserved areas: Previously, SRDC worked with the other three Regional Rural Development Centers to launch a national survey and series of listening sessions focused on national and regional rural priorities. This year, results were disseminated through a series of reports and webinars (https://www.usu.edu/rrdc/listening-sessions) and presented at several national and regional venues. Supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative to address challenges such as food insecurities: SRDC helps facilitate the SERA 47 work plan, which was approved for a second cycle last year. Specifically, SRDC helped to organize and facilitate the annual meeting, and helped build leadership capacity in the group. Facilitating increased broadband access and adoption with the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) and a network of 1890 partners working to address the digital divide: SRDC facilitated monthly peer-to-peer sessions with states that were piloting the NDEET planning process received during the spring 2022 training. More details are here: https://srdc.msstate.edu/ecommerce/advancing-digital-access.html. In partnership with five 1890 partners, SRDC developed and analyzed a national survey of digital skill needs by program area within Extension (n= 659). These data and partner insights helped identify digital skills most needed to help new digital adopters gain use of broadband resources. Both NDEET and 1890 AFRI teams are working to design relevant training to address these identified needs. Enhancing research/Extension collaboration on heirs' property which disproportionately challenges people of Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, " designed to prepare Extension professionals to help educate families around heirs' property issues including both prevention and resolution. To date, over 150 professionals have attended the workshops from 32 states. An AFRI research project is investigating linkages among heirs' property, persistent poverty, and the racial wealth gap. SRDC also facilitated development of a Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA) initiative application, which is in final review. Expanding civil dialogue efforts around race through the Coming Together for Racial Understanding initiative: SRDC continues to support state training teams through monthly calls which include addressing challenges and providing additional training. Two Learning Lab dialogues were conducted which allowed for new dialogue facilitators to grow their skills for leading future sessions. SRDC also developed a five-session series to aid in developing strategies to foster more inclusive and welcoming spaces. These sessions were piloted with five cohort groups (80 participants total). The Coming Together research team developed four issue briefs around key issues related to the dialogue efforts. These are in the final editing stages with plans to publish in fall 2023. (2) Under Building Strategic Partnerships: CREATE BRIDGES, which is a planning process designed to strengthen rural retail which often makes up a large portion of rural employment, is being piloted in six states: Through SRDC's leadership, the pilot regions in these states have completed planning phases and are now implementing strategies for strengthening these business sectors. A post-conference workshop at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals highlighted the program and lessons learned. In fall 2023, a final evaluation will help in synthesizing lessons learned. The process for gathering the final impact data has been developed over this past year. Also, two issue briefs related to early learnings are under final review. Expanding rural resources to promote prosperity in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement (OPPE), focusing on needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and communities: SRDC developed a set of resources to support work with socially disadvantaged farmers and communities addressing topics such as basic grant writing, heirs' property, and farm financial management. A grant writing curriculum was developed and offered virtually (69 participants), and survey tools were created for use by OPPE to gather information on needs of 2501 grantee. SRDC compiled a report based on the responses (n=59). This completed efforts funded by OPPE. This year, the grant writing curriculum was adapted and offered to a cohort of 1890 collaborators in partnership with the Extension Foundation and the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension program. Assisting with developing materials for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): SRDC assisted EDEN in developing overview materials related to their environmental scan and priority setting process. Supporting regional collaboration through the Southern Region Program Leadership Network (SRPLN): SRDC facilitated the SRPLN annual joint meeting. SRDC also supported efforts of the eight work groups on their regional plans of work throughout the year and maintains the network's website and listservs. http://srpln.msstate.edu/ Coordinating the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report: SRDC compiled the 2022-23 Impact Report through data gathered from Southern Region CRD State Program Leaders. SRDC also compiled data across the nine-year span of the report to examine trends and aggregate numbers. https://srdc.msstate.edu/impacts/southern-region-impacts (3) For Mobilize Resources Around Emerging Issues and Opportunities: As co-leader with the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA): SRDC staff worked with Co-PIs to review and award seed funding proposals, provide mentorship for early career researchers, organize a policy symposium, help moderate the annual INRPHA meeting, and hold sessions with kindred organizations, such as the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Examining issues at the intersections of existing SRDC initiatives and insights from listening session data, with a particular focus on issues related to disparities: Reports were produced and disseminated to several audiences, including two webinars organized by the SRDC (one regional meeting and one focused on digital equity) and presentations to administrative leaders in 1862 and 1890 LGUs and community resource development program leaders. Furthermore, engaging with leadership from 1890 research and Extension, the SRDC 1890s Fellow position was created.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Emery, M., Langford, G., Choudhary, A. (2023, February). Are we making a difference? Presentation for Coming Together for Racial Understanding National Team, overview of process and findings, Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. (Moderator). (2023, August). Year-4 pilot projects: Preview of new INRPHA research. Session at the Annual Meeting of the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging. Pennsylvania State University (Virtual).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J., Jensen, L. & Monnat, S. (2023, February). Rural population health and aging: An introduction and facilitated dialogue session for collaborative research. Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Oklahoma City, OK.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. & Thompson, G. (2023, February). Climate change, adaption, and pursuit of sustainable possibilities: Interactive dialogue on roles for social scientists. Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Oklahoma City, OK.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G., Siems, S., Bowen, B., Fraser, M., Patrick, M., Odum, S., & Kennedy, Z. (2023, May). CREATE BRIDGES: Fostering economic development through community partnerships. Workshop at the 2023 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Coeur DAlene, ID.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2023, February). 2022 National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES Phase I.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2023, February). 2022 National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES Phase II.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. 2023, July). 2023 Mid-year National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Marini, M., Green, J., & Lecce, G. (2023, August). Western Decline? Hirschmans Responses Across Cultural Areas and the Rural/Urban Divide. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. Burlington, VT. August 4
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Siems, S., Langford, G., & Dunn, J. (Eds.). (2023). CREATE BRIDGES Project: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Information sheet, updated. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Welborn, R. (2023, April). Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team. Workshop at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Welborn, R. (2023, April). Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Broadband and Digital Access Program Action Team. Workshop at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Welborn, R. (2023, April). Coming Together for Racial Understanding. Capnote Presentation at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Buys, D., Robertson, M. & Green, J. (2023). The aging agricultural workforce: Opportunities for policy development and intervention. Public Policy and Aging Report. doi: 10.1093/ppar/prad015
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lefmann, T., Snell, S., Famuyide, M., Inguva, S., & Green, J. (2022). Bridging the divide: Urban and rural care through the Right! From the Start initiative. Journal of Rural Social Sciences 37(3). https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol37/iss3/5/
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Bailey, C., Dobbs, G.R., Gaither, C.J., & Thomson, R. (2023). Heirs property: Where, how much, and why does it matter? SRDC Heirs Property Issue Brief, 23-1. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/HP-brief-Bailey-Dobbs-Gaither-Thomson-6.2023-final.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Baxter, I. & Upendrum, S. (2022). Broadband impact on education and workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-3. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Dobbs, G.R. & Gaither, C.J. (2023). How much heirs property is there? Using LIGHTBOX + DMP data to estimate heirs property extent in the U.S. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/dobbs_johnson-gaither_pre-print-manuscript-6.5.23_0.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gallardo, R. & Green, J. (2022). Bridging the digital divide in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in the South: Individual Digital Capital Survey results. Southern Rural Development Center. http://srdc.msstate.edu/digital-divide/individual-digital-capcity-survey-report.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gallardo, R. & Whitacre, B. (2022). A granular look at internet speeds and demographic groups: Implications for digital equity. SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-1. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Stephens, J.L., & Simington, J. (2023). Referral pathways and service connections among heirs' property owners in South Carolina. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/Stephens-Simington-Manuscript-Pre-Print-6.26.23.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Thomson, R. & Bailey, C. (2023). Identifying heirs property: Extent and value across the south. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/thomson_bailey_pre-print-manuscript-5.19.23_0.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Walcott, E., Ostrom, M., Burton, D. & Kay, D. (2023). How facing dialogues on race is fostering systemic change in Cooperative Extension. SRDC Coming Together for Racial Understanding Issue Brief, 23-2. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/coming-together-racial-understanding
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Whitacre, B. & Biedny, C. (2022). State policies that impact rural broadband availability. SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-2. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Whitacre, B. & Gallardo, R. (2022). Broadband availability vs. adoption: Which matters more for economic development? SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-4. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kelly, C. (2023, June). Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Coleman, M. and Garner, R. (2022, October). Strengthening the Southern region Extension and Research System to Support Local & Regional Foods Needs and Priorities. Poster at the 2022 National Agricultural Marketing Summit, Pensacola Beach, FL
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Coleman, M. and Garner, R. (2022, October). Strengthening the Southern region Extension and Research System to support local & regional foods needs and priorities. Presentation at the 2022 National Agricultural Marketing Summit, Pensacola Beach, FL
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Emery, M., Langford, G., Choudhary, A. (2023, March). Are we making a difference? Presentation for a Ripple Effect Mapping Community of Practice with an emphasis on the Ripple Effect Mapping process, Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garner, R. (2022, November). An assessment: Using the Community Capitals Framework in understanding community needs in agriculture and food systems. Presentation at 2022 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Fall Webinar Series, Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garner, R. (2022, November). Heirs Property: Impacts at family, community, and regional levels: A proposed multi-state project. Presentation at the 2022 Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Montgomery, AL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Goulding, S., Kelley, P., Green, J., & Lichter, D. (2022). Rural economy and governance. Panel at Population matters: Demography and wellbeing in rural America symposium. Rural Population Research Network. Washington, DC. Hybrid.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Green, J. (2022, October). Reimagining rural: Roles for rural development with examples from the digital age. Invited Keynote Presentation. Rural Studies Conference at The Pennsylvania State University. Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. (2023, August). Rural development in the digital age: Exploring information and communication technology through social inclusion. Presidential address at the Annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. Burlington, VT