Progress 06/15/23 to 06/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audienceincluded postsecondary faculty members serving as REEU Project Directors (PDs) and postsecondary students, and members of the public. PDs and students are the primary audiences for inter-project networking outcomes (Community of Practice, digital clearinghouse, online meetings, etc.), while public engagement will be the focus of the website, forums, and other online spaces (i.e., social media). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An onboarding workshop (to the private ECN) was held in late March2024. Training sessions included navigating theUSDA-REEU SharePoint network, communication channels, uploading/sharing materials, and creating communications (news and events). A spring retreat for the REEU project, Science Influencers, was held on April 30-May 1, 2024.Six videos were produced during the retreat for distribution to all REEU PDs. Video topics included 1) preparing for REEU summer internships; 2) reflective practice to promote scientific inquiry; 3) engaging the public in science using social media; 4) writing impact statements; 5) integrating public relations into your internship; and 6) creating social media content during the internship. These videos are applicable to all ECN PDs to augment their project materials for REEU students. The ECN PDs have participated in several planning meetings for the REEU PDs' national meeting (fall, 2024), initiating completion of objective 6. Initial co-host sites included joining the Western Region of the American Association of Agricultural Education in Chico, CA during its annual research conference. A poll was conducted among all REEU PDs, who preferred an in-person meeting (mid-October) at NIFA HQ in Kansas City. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We developed social media channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter) to promote REEU.org. Additional materials, such as the processes to establish a nationwide ECN, are being used to develop research poster abstracts for submission to a conference in September. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Future tasks include conducting interviews of PDs and their students to create weekly highlights through all ECN social channels. Increased advertisements of REEU opportunities will be posted in pathwaystoscience.org to maximize exposure of student research and extension internships nationwide. Professional development workshops (videos, news releases, podcasts, etc.) will be developed and delivered to all ECN members and their students in the next 12 months. The REEU-ECN advisory board will conduct regular fall/spring meetings to advise the ECN about members' training needs and co-host possibilities for conference/meeting events in public and private venues.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Development of the USDA-REEU SharePoint private network began in January 2024. Although this network will change, per changing needs of REEU PDs, the initial structure was solidified by the end of February. From there, 50 REEU PDs were invited and added to the ECN before the official launch, which occurred on March 28, 2204. Objective 1 was realized within the first six months of 2024. Member surveys, program materials, chats, training sessions, etc. have occurred since the launch date. More than 2,280 visitors have accessed the private community of practice since its launch, with 1,330 REEU PD visits in the past 90 days. Objective 2 was initiated and will be ongoing throughout the life of project, even beyond project end date. Objective 3 was realized with the initiation of the SharePoint private network, which includes an interface with Office365 for private groups and email lists. The public facing website, REEU-ECN: The FANH Scientists Network (https://www.reeu.org/) was launched in tandem with the private network, USDA-REEU SharePoint, thus fulfilling objective 5. This publicsite promotes REEU projects, PDs, workshops, publications (from all REEU projects), news, and resources for members and the public. Since its launch, more than 1,000 pageviews were logged in 580+ sessions. Top countries for site visits were from USA (528), China (24), Australia (6), and Germany (5); others included Spain, India, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom. Top referrals were from usda.gov (163) and agnettamu.sharepoint.com (23).
Publications
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