Final Agenda for Climate, Water, Equity and Opportunity Workshop Released
The Climate, Water, Equity, and Opportunity Workshop is just six-weeks away! This unique workshop is taking place in downtown Denver, Colorado October 12–13 prior to the First American Land-Grant Consortium Annual Conference. The event will bring together land-grant colleagues from 1862, 1890, and 1994 institutions across the region to discuss how we can better work together to address climate and water-related challenges facing our communities.
“In my everyday work, I don’t always have the opportunity to work with extension colleagues from other states – or with colleagues from Tribal Colleges and Historically Black Land-Grant Universities,” notes Eugene Braig, Program Director of the Extension Aquatic Ecosystems program at Ohio State University and member of the workshop planning team. “I am excited to have the opportunity to meet some of these folks for the first time and see other colleagues that I haven’t talked with in years.”
The final agenda for the workshop is now out and while the workshop is only two days – it packs a punch! Attendees will hear from land-grant leaders, including Dr. Alton Thompson, Executive Director of the Association of 1890 Research Directors; Amber Finley, Director of Research and Development at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College; and Dr. Dan Wildcat, Author, and Professor at Haskell Indian Nations University. The event will also feature a series of lightning talks on ongoing climate and water extension work.
“This event is a great opportunity for Lincoln University of Missouri to feature some of the great work that is happening at our institution and for us to better understand work happening in other areas of the country,” says Eleazar Gonzalez, State Extension Specialist, Ag Economics and Marketing, Lincoln University of Missouri and one of the speakers at the event. “There are no Tribal Colleges in Missouri, so this workshop is a great opportunity for us to learn from TCU colleagues – especially given that many First Nation communities are on the cutting-edge of climate work.”
The goal of the workshop is to develop recommendations for how land-grant institutions can collaborate in ways that will ultimately increase our ability to provide climate and water programming in equitable and just ways. To help attendees work through these large concepts, Jennifer Gauthier, Director of the College of Menominee Nation Sustainable Development Institute, will be leading an action planning session where participants will be using the medicine wheel as a framework for creating recommendations. Participants will then have the opportunity prioritize the recommendations and create an action plan for how they can work together after the workshop to address community needs.
Registration closes Friday, September 29th so make sure to reserve your spot soon! Registration is only $50 and travel scholarships are available. If you are interested in requesting a $500 travel scholarship, please email please email Anne Nardi at anne.nardi@wisc.edu by EOB Monday, September 11th!