January Announcements

January Announcements

From the Director

January 30, 2026

Regional Teams Update

By: Angie Abbott, associate dean and director of Purdue Extension

The Extension Transformation continues to take shape in the East Central and West Central Regional Teams. We will be giving monthly progress updates to share the strategies regional field offices are testing as we navigate this transition together.

Regional Teams educators

We want to start by recognizing the educators who work across the region. With their support, we are able to strengthen service delivery while positioning Extension for long term sustainability.

East Central Regional Team

Serving Blackford, Delaware, Henry, Jay, Randolph and Wayne counties

West Central Regional Team

Serving Benton, Fountain, Tippecanoe and Warren counties

Media requests

Information about my appointment was sent to the media last week. I will be responding directly to any media requests coming from that release.

Otherwise, to ensure consistent messaging across the state, all transformation, reorganization or regional model related media requests should be routed directly to Maureen Manier, Agricultural Communications Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu.

Regional communications and marketing strategy

A Regional Teams Communications Committee, led by Ag Comm with representation from the West Central and East Central Regional Teams, 4-H, and Extension leadership, has been formed to address communication opportunities and support Extension with marketing materials and best practices.

In the coming months, the committee will be developing materials for digital, print, social media and the web that focus on regional marketing and delivery. Stay tuned for future updates as the resources become available. The Purdue Extension Transformation web page is now live and can be accessed here: https://extension.purdue.edu/about/transformation.html.

Future updates

As we continue to develop strategies to deliver programs regionally, we are focusing on broader reach, reduced duplication, applied research, innovation and continued service for communities. Stay tuned for updates on the transformation in the next newsletter.

If you have any questions about the Transformation, please email ExtensionTransformation@purdue.edu, and your question will be sent to the appropriate department.

Digital Programming Inventory Survey

By: Michael Wilcox, assistant director and program leader for Community Development

As part of Purdue Extension's transformation, we are examining all facets of our delivery models, including digital delivery methods for Extension programming. This survey will inform our inventory of current Purdue Extension digital programming. It will also inform decision-making as we seek a digital learning platform that meets our needs as Extension professionals and those of the communities we serve.

This survey is intended to inventory all Extension programs and courses delivered in a digital environment. This includes original, research-based, high-quality content offered synchronously, asynchronously, or through a hybrid format.

Please focus on your top digital programs or courses, particularly those with the greatest reach, impact, resource investment, or strategic importance to your work. You will complete a brief set of program-specific questions for each offering (approximately 5 minutes per program).

For questions and assistance regarding this survey, please contact Michael Wilcox (wilcox16@purdue.edu).

Survey link: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9GOBxjQEK2TN5m6

Important: Please submit a separate survey response for each digital (online) course or program delivered. If multiple digital offerings are provided, the form must be completed once for each one.

Please include:

  • Structured online courses (self-paced or instructor-led)
  • Webinar series with a cohesive curriculum AND/OR learning objectives
  • Hybrid programs that blend in-person and online components
  • Certificate or credential programs delivered digitally
  • Ongoing digital training programs with defined learning outcomes

Please DO NOT include:

  • One-off webinars or standalone presentations
  • Individual videos posted to YouTube or social media
  • Recorded meetings or informational sessions without structured learning objectives
  • Email newsletters or static web content
  • Legacy material, i.e. material you no longer update but keep active because there are select users who still ask for it.

If you're unsure whether your program qualifies, consider: Does it have defined learning objectives? Is it designed as a cohesive learning experience rather than a single event? If yes, please include it

Embeds and ADA Compliance in Cascade

By: Lily Thill, digital communications coordinator

As we continue working to ensure that all online documents and content are accessible through Cascade (the back end of the public-facing website) we have identified that embedded content is not ADA-compliant ( Americans with Disabilities Act).

An embed is when content from another platform is displayed directly inside a web page, instead of linking out to it. This is not the same as a block.

This includes pages containing:

  • Qualtrics forms
  • Marq or Canva embeds
  • RSS feeds (commonly used to show social media feeds)
  • Google Calendars
  • Google slides
  • CVENT widgets
  • Google events
  • Google maps
  • QR codes
  • Table charts

Pages that currently include embedded content (such as newsletters created in Marq or Canva and embedded directly on a page) must have those embeds removed by March 1.

Recommendations for Adding News Articles

Option 1: Add News Articles Directly in Cascade

  • Create news articles within the Extension-News site in Cascade.
  • Ensure all images include ALT text.
  • Avoid screenshots or images that contain text.
  • Shared county newsletters work best when initially drafted in Word.
    • Before adding imagery or formatting, copy and paste the content into Cascade.
    • Once posted in Cascade, the Word document may be revised for print distribution.
  • A reference video is available on the Hub under Communications < Cascade.

Option 2: Link to an ADA-Compliant Marq Newsletter

  • Create newsletters in Marq, ensuring they are on brand and ADA-
  • Use Marq’s ADA compliance tools and verify accessibility before linking the document in Cascade.
  • Link the newsletter as a document, not as an embedded item.

Option 3: Use a Mailing List Subscription

  • Provide a link for your audience to subscribe to receive newsletters.
  • Newsletters would not be placed in Cascade and would instead be emailed and/or mailed to those who have subscribed.

Example:
Please review the Community Childcare website. This feature can be found on the home page under the “Stay Connected” column.

Recommendations for Linking Social Media Accounts

Instead of embeds, use one or more of the following:

  1. Social media icons linked under “Contact Us”
  2. Buttons that link to your social media pages
  3. A callout block encouraging your audience to find and follow your social media accounts
  4. A combination of the above

Recommendations for Adding County Events to Cascade

  • Use the Extension-Events site in Cascade.
  • Add an Events Listing Block to your home page.
    • This provides a list view of upcoming events (not a monthly calendar view).
    • The list can be expanded and filtered to show as many events as desired.
  • Use tags to tailor which events appear on specific pages.
    • Example: ANR events appear on the ANR page, while the home page displays all county events.
  • A reference video is available on the Hub under Communications < Cascade.

ADA Compliance as It Relates to Cascade

  • Contact Gina Price to request a report identifying which PDFs are being accessed and downloaded.
    • This will help determine which documents are most valuable to retain and remediate for ADA compliance.
  • When creating accessible documents:

Helpful Resources for ADA Compliance

Purdue Day of Giving - April 29, 2026

By: Lily Thill, digital communications coordiator

Purdue Day of Giving is quickly approaching on April 29. It remains one of the most successful single-day fundraising events in higher education. Purdue Extension has seen tremendous participation over the past few years, thanks to the dedication and support of counties across the state.

Throughout the day, counties help encourage gifts that support Extension programming and local office needs. Most importantly, 100% of gifts donated to a county go directly back to that county to strengthen local impact.

Please explore the accordions below for more information on key components of the day. Stay tuned for additional Purdue Day of Giving updates and announcements coming soon!

Leaderboard bonus funds will be awarded again this year. The top 15 participating counties will receive bonus funds in addition to what they raise. Bonus awards are as follows: first place will receive an additional $1,000, second place $900, third place $850, fourth place $800, fifth place $750, sixth place $700, seventh place $650, eighth place $600, ninth place $500, 1oth place $400, 11th place $300, 12th place $200, 13th place $150, 14th place $125, and 15th place $75.

Please make sure to sign the Staff and Faculty Confidentiality Agreement before Purdue Day of Giving. Extension staff will need to state the county they are based in within the job description placeholder and list Alyssa Crawford, PDOG stewardship, as the contact and project. Those who do not sign the form will not receive a list of donors for thank you outreach. Donor lists will be sent via Filelocker. Please note that documents in Filelocker expire after 30 days, so lists must be downloaded and saved before they expire to avoid losing access.

Staff and Faculty Confidentiality Agreement

Ambassador links will also go live on April 29, just like other Purdue Day of Giving links. This new option is a great way to encourage peer to peer engagement, especially within Extension and 4 H communities, and helps increase participation and giving. As an ambassador, your goal is to engage your community and inspire giving by sharing your link, inviting at least two people to participate, spreading the word through social media, email and text, and thanking those who donate.

When signing up as an ambassador, you will be prompted to create an account. If you have given online in the past, the platform may already have your email address and you may receive an error message. If this happens, select “Forgot Password” to reset your password, and you should then be taken directly to your ambassador dashboard.

Your ambassador link is intended for personal outreach through your own accounts and direct communication. Please continue using the provided county giving links when promoting Purdue Day of Giving on public county pages. This is also a great way to track who in your county is advocating and create some friendly competition.

CED Update

By: Steve McKinley, staff development specialist

Registration is open through Friday, February 13 for the CED Update, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 26, via the Microsoft Teams platform.

Please complete your registration so that we can communicate additional details with you. Thank you!

Building Resilience: Purdue Extension's Role in Indiana Disaster Preparedness

By: Michael Wilcox, assistant director and program leader for Community Development

Sadly, bad things happen to good people. Disasters or emergencies can affect any of us at any time. Fortunately, effective and appropriate preparation and response strategies by individuals, families and communities can help mitigate the impacts and facilitate more efficient recovery from such events.

Purdue Extension can play a critical role in that process. Whether it's a tornado, a flood or an industrial fire, our communities turn to us for reliable, research-based information and our robust network. 

The good news for you as an Extension professional? You don't have to figure it out alone! 

What Are EDEN and INPREP? 

The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) is a national collaborative effort within the Cooperative Extension System focused on reducing the impact of disasters through research-based education. EDEN covers all hazard types, including agricultural/zoonotic, natural, and human-caused. EDEN provides a one-stop shop of resources at extensiondisaster.net,  including fact sheets, toolkits, webinars and response notes from educators who've been through it before. 

Here at Purdue, we connect to EDEN through INdiana PREPared (INPREP). Established in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Enginering about six years ago, INPREP focuses specifically on Indiana and serves as a resource for Extension professionals and community members across the state. Our website offers news articles, teaching materials and timely information you can adapt for  local needs. As a colleague in Nebraska likes to say, “Every disaster is local,” so our goal is to supplement what you have and provide what you need in your community when the time comes. 

A Real-World Example: The Newburgh Fire 

This past September, an industrial fire broke out in Newburgh on a Saturday evening. Chemicals at the facility weren't properly labeled, so responders couldn't immediately identify what was burning. Residents received shelter-in-place warnings, ash was falling, and by Monday, people were calling the Warrick County Extension Office with questions about personal safety and whether their garden produce and field crops were safe to harvest and/or eat. 

Our county and campus-based team jumped in. Within about 24 hours of those first calls, we had an INPREP landing page up with information addressing the most common concerns and links to EPA updates. It took an all-hands-on-deck approach where we reached out to Purdue Extension professionals, Purdue faculty, local contacts, national EDEN contacts and even an Extension educator in Ohio who had experience with the East Palestine train derailment. Social media made a real difference! With the new INPREP page promoted on the Purdue Extension website, the message reached over 16,000 people and drove a significant spike in website traffic. 

The Newburgh response reminded us that emergency response is a team effort across all of Extension, not just one program area. It also showed how valuable our “countless connections” can be when you need answers fast.

Ways to Get Involved 

We want to invite Purdue Extension professionals to engage with disaster preparedness work at whatever level makes sense for you: 

Start at home: Invest in your family's well-being by taking a first aid or CPR class. Prepare a home emergency plan and assemble a "go-bag" of emergency supplies. Keep adequate nonperishable food, water and medicines on hand to survive for a few days without power or if you are snowed in. 

Stay informed: Visit the INPREP website and familiarize yourself with what's available. We have resources on topics from extreme heat to tornadoes to earthquakes, plus news articles you can adapt for local use. 

Be prepared: Consider becoming an EDEN delegate. Delegates participate in annual conferences, monthly webinars and committee work across all Extension program areas. It's a great professional development opportunity and a way to build your network before disaster strikes. 

Take action: Get involved with local emergency management. For example, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are volunteer teams trained to support disaster response in their communities. And Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) coordinate volunteer efforts at the county, regional and state levels. 

Let Us Hear From You 

If you're already involved in disaster-related work, whether through CERT, COAD, VOAD or another organization, please let us know!  

And if you're interested in learning more about EDEN or INPREP, please reach out. We see real potential for collaboration and want to connect with Extension colleagues across the state. 

Contact Ed Sheldon (ejsheldo@purdue.edu) and Michael Wilcox (wilcox16@purdue.edu) to start the conversation. 

For more information, visit  https://www.purdue.edu/engineering/ABE/INPREPared/  or https://extensiondisaster.net/

2026 Indiana State Fair

By: Atina Rozhon, area director

Plans are underway for the 2026 Indiana State Fair and the Purdue Extension Building. 

As has been our tradition, all Extension professionals are asked to participate in the Indiana State Fair. One of the ways that you can participate is by being a part of the rotating exhibits in the Purdue Extension Building. Follow this link to sign up an individual or team program effort to be showcased in the Purdue Extension Building. Exhibits are desired to be interactive as they allow for fairgoer participation.

If you have questions, please reach out to Atina Rozhon, arozhon@purdue.edu or 812-528-7895.

Sign Up

YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING UPDATE

By: Malea Huffman, youth protection compliance administrator

 For all Purdue Extension Field Staff, County Office Staff, and 4-H and HHS State Specialists.Please join for the latest updates and training for youth protection on February 24th at 10 a.m. eastern.

 This training will go over the most current information you and your office need to know to maintain a safe environment for all. This live webinar will have time for Q&A at the end. The presentation will be recorded and uploaded if you can not attend live.

This will serve as the first of the required bi-annual trainings in 2026.

Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2490003645023?p=jXn87jBwspkPNQyWVr
Meeting ID: 249 000 364 502 3
Passcode: 522R4pQ3

Magnifying Sheets at the Education Store

By: Erin Watson, Education Store office manager

The Education Store will be stocking a handful of full-page magnifying sheets that counties may request to use with programming. Contact edustore@purdue.edu to request one. These will be free of charge to counties, but shipping/handling fees may apply.

American Income Life Special Risk Division

By: Steve McKinley, staff development specialist

A new page added to the Purdue Extension Hub includes information about the American Income Life Special Risk Division. Links and resources describing both the annual and special activities accident/injury insurance coverage policies are included.

Purdue Extension Podcast

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