Time sensitive request: Share your feedback with the ESCC before All-Extension Conference exhibits hour!

For support staff and campus staff

Greetings, Extension colleagues who are represented by the Extension Staff Consultative Committee (ESCC). We're seeking feedback from all civil service and union-represented staff, as well as county-hired support staff, to help the ESCC better serve and represent all of you. We're asking staff to take a few minutes to complete our committee outreach survey. We're constantly striving to meet the changing needs of our colleagues and find the most effective ways to communicate with staff on a wide range of topics, including professional and personal development opportunities.

Any represented staff who complete the survey and stop by to visit us during the All-Extension Conference reception and Extension exhibits hour on Tuesday, Sept. 22 will receive a small token of our appreciation. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will be used to help direct future ESCC committee engagement. The survey will remain open until Oct. 30.

Submit your feedback.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

March ESCC learn and connect: Creating accessible social media content and emails

For everyone

The ESCC invites staff to join us on March 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. as as we learn about how to make accessible social media content and emails. Social media and email are important tools for engaging with Extension audiences, and making content accessible for all users is a vital skill to develop. In this session, you'll learn how to create accessible Facebook and Instagram posts, where accessibility features can be found on these platforms, and accessibility best practices for mass email tools.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

February ESCC learn and connect: Multimedia creation

For everyone

The ESCC invites staff to join us on Feb. 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. as Karen Matthes from Extension Learning Technologies leads us in a 1-hour webinar based on the deep-dive, hands-on Intro to Modern Multimedia Creation workshop from the 2025 All Extension Conference. It introduces key multimedia concepts and demonstrates how they can be used in teaching, learning, and everyday work. You'll see examples, learn practical approaches to creating multimedia, and get resources to help you create multimedia content.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

December ESCC learn and connect: Wellbeing

For everyone

Join the ESCC on Dec. 3 from 1 to 2 p.m. as Mariann Johnson from the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing leads us in exploring resources and inspiration to help develop new ways for navigating stress, allowing you to be with life’s changes and transitions more resourcefully. A wellbeing model developed by the UMN's Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing will be highlighted, and practical, evidence-based tips will be provided for building resilience and reducing stress in one’s daily life. Mindfulness will be explored as both an innate capacity and a wellbeing resource that can be enhanced through awareness and practice. As part of the session, participants will be invited to practice a short mindfulness/stress reduction exercise.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

November ESCC learn and connect: Branded content created in Canva

For everyone

Join the ESCC as we welcome Michael Donahue on Nov. 5 from 1 to 2 p.m. Michael will guide us through some best practices for creating marketing materials in Canva. This session will highlight the importance of using Extension branding guidelines to create content, provide a range of basic design tips, and highlight the Canava brand kit features.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

October ESCC learn and connect: Centering equity in our decision-making practices

For everyone

Please join the ESCC and Extension Director of Diversity Radious Guess on Oct. 1 from 1 to 2 p.m. We will be digging into the importance of applying an equity lens to decision making by elevating diverse perspectives, promoting transparency, and proactively addressing bias and structural barriers.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

June ESCC learn and connect: Strategies for working together as a team

For everyone

Working with a team can be great. However, conflict and challenging personalities can make things go from bad to ugly if not properly navigated. Join us on June 4 at 1 p.m., where we will be joined by Regional Director Christy Kallevig as we learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly of working together. Christy will discuss how to bring your best to the team, understanding motivations in personal behavior, and exploring ways to navigate conflict in order to find the beauty in your team.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

April ESCC learn and connect session features opportunity to meet the ESCC and EFCC committee members

For everyone

Did you know you have a committee of your colleagues who represent and advocate for you? You are invited to join the Extension Staff Consultative Committee (ESCC) and the Extension Staff Faculty Committee (EFCC) on April 28 at 1 p.m. to learn more about these committees, which help to advocate for their colleagues. The Extension Staff Consultative Committee (ESCC) and the Extension Staff Faculty Committee (EFCC) are internal Extension committees that meet regularly with the Dean of Extension, in addition to individuals in other leadership roles, to help provide input on a variety of Extension related issues to help ensure that all staff have a voice. Meet some of the committee members, learn more about what the ESCC and EFCC can do to support all of you as Extension staff, and hear about how they can help to provide more support to their colleagues.

Register to attend.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

Learn & Connect session to feature digital accessibility

For everyone

The Extension Staff Consultative Committee (ESCC) would like to extend an invitation to all Extension and county-hired staff to join a Learn & Connect session from 2 to 3 p.m. on March 12 to learn more about digital accessibility and how to prepare for the upcoming new requirements.

ESCC Learn & Connect: Practical Accessibility Skills

With new Title II digital accessibility requirements approaching, everyone who creates digital documents has a role in ensuring accessibility. Learning these skills is an ongoing process, and self-learning is the best way to build proficiency. In this interactive 1-hour webinar, you’ll get a practical overview of the seven core skills of accessibility and discover valuable resources to continue learning on your own. To understand the Title II requirements, please review the First Fridays webinar and Extension Intranet resources before attending.

Whether you're new to accessibility or need a refresher, this session will equip you with the tools to help ensure all Extension department content meets the April 2026 compliance deadline. Join us and take the next step toward creating more inclusive, accessible materials!

Register to attend this session.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair