CES-237 National Initiatives- 2000

Definition of National Initiatives

National Initiatives give special programming emphasis to issues that are of national importance and attention and have about a five-year life.

National Initiatives may or may not have special federal funding. National Initiatives have support teams composed of CSREES and state extension staff. These support teams develop the initiatives and give national direction and attention to the development of educational programming and partnerships that support the initiative. Current National Initiatives are:

Food Safety and Quality

Healthy People...Healthy Communities (in design stages)

Managing Change in Agriculture

Workforce Preparation

Child Care (new 1999)

 

B. The Food Safety and Quality

The Food Safety and Quality National Initiative Program focuses on reducing the incidence of foodborne illness through improving safe food handling practices, improving processes that safeguard the food supply, and improving the understanding of food-related risks.

Competitive grants are awarded annually through the Food Safety and Quality National Initiative Program to support the development of food safety education programs at land-grant colleges and universities in the Cooperative Extension System.

Nationwide, projects funded through the Food Safety and Quality National Initiative Program provide education and training in safe food selection and preparation, food sanitation and storage, food preservation (canning, drying, freezing), safe food handling, seafood safety, aquaculture, pesticide residues in foods, biotechnology, and food irradiation.

G.  Healthy People, Healthy Communities

Healthy People, Healthy Communities is a new initiative still under discussion.

The proposed mission: The Healthy People, Healthy Communities national health initiative will promote the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to increase healthy behaviors and lifestyle choices and make informed consumer decisions.

The initiative is proposed to strengthen community leadership and promote the formation and enhancement of quality partnerships and infrastructures to meet local health and health care needs.

The initiative plans to bring together the extension, teaching, and research resources of the land-grant university system and its stakeholders to address health care issues. The current, proposed goals are: (1) educate and empower individuals an families to adopt healthy behaviors and lifestyles; (2) educate consumers to make informed health and health care decisions; and (3) build community capacity to improve health.

 

I. Managing Change in Agriculture

The primary objective of Managing Change in Agriculture is for people in the agricultural sector to have successful, profitable businesses contributing to the well-being of their families and communities. To be successful, these business owners must be sensitive to the desires and expectations of consumers and society. Hence, the secondary objectives of the initiative are for (1) society to enjoy the benefits of a productive agriculture that is competitive in the global economy and friendly to the environment; and (2) consumers to have access to an abundant supply of safe, nutritious, convenient, and affordable food and other natural resource products.

The specific youth focus is Ag in the Classroom. The Ag in the Classroom program plays a critical role in helping students gain some understanding of the realities of production agriculture.

J.  Workforce Preparation

The purpose of the workforce preparation initiative is to marshal the extension, teaching, and research resources of the land-grant university system to address workforce preparation throughout the country.

Despite a robust economy, U.S. research, educators, employers, and workers remain concerned about the workplace because…

· Young people don’t have adequate skills and competencies to meet current and emerging needs of the workplace.

· We are not retraining adults to keep pace with employment needs.

· Downsizing and wage stagnation result in high employee turnover.

· Recently passed legislation requires that all welfare recipients must work.

Workforce Preparation Programs targeting youth take many unique forms in New York counties. These programs include programs such as the Food Industry Intern Program and Animal Health Career Connections.

K.  Child Care

Vision:  A nation where all children and youth have access to safe, healthy, caring, and enriching environments when they are away from their parents.

Mission:  To improve child care by linking the teaching, research, education, technology, and 4-H youth development expertise of USDA, 105 land-grant universities and 3,150 county Cooperative Extension Service offices to local communities across America.

Goal:  To increase the quality, affordability, accessibility, availability, and sustainability of child care programs through federal, State and local partnerships that tap the expertise and assets of local communities.

Outcomes:
(1) Increase the knowledge, skills, and abilities of child care providers,
(2) Increase the number of child care providers engaged in professional development programs,
(3) Increase the quality of existing child care programs,
(4) Increase the nutritional value of meals and snacks,
(5) increase the number of employer assisted child care options,
(6) Increase the number of child care programs and options available to families,
(7) Increase the knowledge of parents in selecting quality child care,
(8) increase parenting skills and knowledge that compliment child care program goals,
(9) increase the awareness of child care public policy issues, and
(10) Increase the sustainability of newly created child care programs.