National Extension Award for Innovative Programming that Addresses New Audiences

Co-sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Section’s Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

Purpose

“This award is for Extension efforts that go above and beyond in reaching new audiences. It recognizes innovative teaching models and techniques that ensure Extension programs reach all audiences, especially new and those that have not been participating in traditional Extension education. The programming should reflect how a systematic needs assessment identified the audience and influenced teaching methods, created mutual respect among audiences, promoted acceptance, fostered teamwork, and improved overall effectiveness of the programming.“

Nominations may reflect programming within Extension’s program areas, integrated across program areas, (cross-programmatic), multi-institutional collaboration and/or programs done in partnership with other agencies, NGOs and other stakeholder groups. Regardless, they must show local impact.

Process

Nominations must be submitted online by June 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The ECOP Excellence in Extension Awards Selection Committee reviews nominations during the months of June and July and winners should know the outcome of the process by August 31.

The winner receives a cash award from the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and an engraved award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The winning program will be recognized during the NIFA and Board on Agricultural Assembly Awards Program at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Annual Meeting in November. A travel stipend for one winner (or team leader) is typically provided by NIFA.

A summary of the work is released to the media in autumn and published in APLU’s Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Awards Program: A Community of Scholars Honoring Excellence.

The winner is expected to submit impact statements to the national impact database (landgrantimpacts.org).  The winner’s institution also agrees to assist the Extension Foundation in the production of a 3–5 minute video of the winner that will be posted on ECOP website.

Who is Eligible?

An individual Cooperative Extension professional (state, regional and/or county) or a team of professionals from the land-grant universities listed here may be nominated. An Extension professional is defined as having at least 50 percent EFT/FTE university appointment in Extension as of May 1 of the year of nomination. NOTE: Administrative EFT/FTE are not eligible.

Criteria for Nominations

Anyone working for a land-grant university may nominate. Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged, however, all nominations must include a letter of endorsement from the lead institution’s Director or Administrator of Extension. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Since the program is limited to one award per year, repeat unawarded nominations are encouraged. When writing nominations, special attention should be given to efforts that have the potential to be sustained over time and/or can be replicated in other comparable situations.

The following weighted elements are considered in the review process.

• Program Purpose: What is the issue that has been addressed by the programming? The response should describe how you determined that this was a new audience, and that the issue was one that could be uniquely addressed by Extension programming. (Maximum 15 points)
• Program Description: What did you do to address the issue? The response should describe how the program reached a new audience. (Maximum 25 points)
• Impact: Provide measurable evidence that your programming had an impact on a new audience. (Maximum 30 points)
• Scope: How has this programming had a multi-state or national impact? (Maximum 20 points)
• Innovation: How is this programming a new model for Cooperative Extension in reaching new audiences? The response should describe how it is innovative in its application, methods, and approaches; and how it can be used by other educators to reach audiences not previously reached. (Maximum 10 points)

Total Possible Points – 100

Nomination Package

Nominations must not exceed word limits and must contain the following. It is recommended to prepare the following and be ready to cut/paste before browsing to the Online Nomination form:

1. Name, title, address, phone number and e-mail of the individual or team primary point of contact.
2. Name, title, address, phone number and e-mail of person making nomination.
3. Provide a title and brief description of the program being nominated (50 words or less).
4. Five narratives explaining criteria given above (400 words or less, each).
5. Optional – List the names and institutional/organizational affiliations of any primary team members or partners who collaborate in delivering this program.
6. Required – Letter of support from the host (or lead) institution’s Director/Administrator of Extension.

Incomplete applications or applications beyond word limits may not be considered. Please do not attempt to forward individual letters of recommendation, videotapes, bound publications, or other supporting materials/attachments with the nomination. Only electronic submissions using the link above will be considered.