UC ANR LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
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Extension Methods & Delivery
Building Support
Inclusion & Belonging
Office, Team, & Personal Development
This month’s learning highlights focus on building practical skills that strengthen your impact – from designing engaging online courses for adult learners to navigating key systems and planning for fiscal and program success. You’ll also find opportunities to improve how you manage time, build support for your work and learn from innovative Extension programs in action. Across these sessions, a common thread is strengthening your ability to give and receive feedback — an essential skill for improving programs, supporting colleagues and continuously learning in your role.
EXTENSION METHODS & DELIVERY
Before You Share It: An AI Safety Checklist for Extension (Extension Foundation)
How to use AI productively without risking accuracy, trust or confidential information.
Artificial intelligence can save time. It can also produce wrong answers that sound right.
That matters in Extension work. People rely on us for guidance that is accurate, practical and grounded in real conditions. A careless use of AI can introduce errors, expose private information or weaken trust that has taken generations to build.
The safest way to use AI is not to treat it as an expert. Treat it as a fast-drafting tool. It can help you get started, but you are still responsible for the final product. Before using AI for any work task, run the 30-Second Safety Test.
Save the date: Building Online Courses for Adult Learning: Foundation (Extension Foundation)
April 9 | 11 a.m – Noon
Learn details & register
Designing effective online learning for adults takes more than just posting content — it requires intentional structure, engagement and real-world relevance. This webinar is designed specifically for Cooperative Extension educators and staff who want to create meaningful, accessible and learner-centered online experiences.
In this course, you’ll learn how to:
- Apply core principles of adult learning to online environments
- Structure content so learners can easily follow and apply it
- Design activities that promote engagement and practical application
- Build courses that are clear, accessible and effective from the start
Whether you’re new to online teaching or looking to strengthen your approach, this course provides practical tools you can use right away in your programs.
Farm to Table in an Urban Environment: The Dallas County Urban Farm (Extension Foundation)
April 22 | 11 a.m.–Noon PT
Learn details & register
The Dallas Urban County Farm is a unique partnership between Dallas County and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension that transformed a former county maintenance facility into a thriving urban agriculture and education center. What was once a 12-acre asphalt lot is now home to demonstration gardens, a research vineyard, fruit orchard, community garden and research farm maintained by Texas Master Gardener volunteers. The farm was created to explore high-intensity growing practices in urban spaces, and also serves as a hub for public health education, community engagement and hands-on learning. Through partnerships with local farms, volunteers and community organizations, the Urban County Farm produces fresh food that is distributed to homeless shelters, community centers and food ministries across Dallas County.
BUILDING SUPPORT
UC ANR Giving Day Webinar: Developing Your Plan
April 8 | 10-10:45 a.m.
This interactive webinar will provide resources to help you plan and manage your online campaigns whether you are new to UC ANR Giving Day or have participated from the beginning. Learn how your group can stand out from the crowd and harness the power of generosity to raise funds for your program. Join Emily Delk, UC ANR director of Annual Giving and Donor Stewardship, to access campaign resources, and hear from other colleagues across the state as they share how they’ve engaged their supporters.
Zoom: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/99097447144
INCLUSION & BELONGING
Digital Accessibility
Use the UC ANR Accessibility Resources page as your go-to hub for tools, guidance and UC-specific standards to create more accessible digital content. Check color contrast and usability, learn how to handle images and alt text, and address common accessibility challenges with clear, practical guidance. These resources also help you align your day-to-day work with UC-wide requirements and the WCAG 2.1 AA deadline — while improving the overall quality and reach of your content, not just compliance.
Inclusive Book Clubs Workshop (UC Davis)
April 22 | 3-5 p.m.
Register
This workshop brings together a community of professionals and practitioners who are interested in growing accessibility for everyone to read and engage with books that take up complex issues. In this workshop, participants will share experiences and brainstorm ideas for inclusive book clubs and book-based programs. The workshop will begin with presentations that share examples of book club and literacy programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, followed by roundtable discussions to generate ideas for local practice. The Campus Community Book Project would like to thank to the UC Davis Redwood SEED Scholars Program and UC Davis Library for their partnership in planning this event.
OFFICE, TEAM, & PERSONAL DEVELPOMENT
Mastering Academic Time Management (NCFDD)
April 9 |11 a.m. - Noon PT
Learn details & register.
New faculty often face long hours with limited research progress, feelings of isolation and challenges balancing work and personal life — sometimes even questioning their career path.
This webinar is designed to help you navigate that transition with practical strategies. You’ll learn how to manage your time more effectively, align your work with your priorities, create dedicated time for writing and research, and build a strong support system to stay productive and balanced. Register for your free NCFDD account today with your UC ANR email address.
Navigating Business Operations Center (BOC) Processes for New Employees
April 7 and all first Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Register
Starting a new role at ANR? Seeking a refresher on BOC processes? Set yourself up for success by attending a BOC onboarding session – designed to help you navigate key business operations and connect with the resources you’ll need from day one.
During this interactive session, you'll meet your BOC business partners, explore financial processes, and learn how to use essential tools like AggieExpense, Aggie Enterprise and the Chart of Accounts. We’ll guide you through purchasing procedures, procurement and travel cards, supplier registration and workflow automation. Plus, there’s dedicated time for Q&A, so you can get answers to any questions. We look forward to having you join us.
Fiscal Close - What to Expect & How to Prepare
April 30 | Noon-12:30 p.m.
Join Angela Chuck (UC ANR Financial Services), Maru Fernandez (SWPR) and Janelle Wood (BOC) to learn how you can prepare for fiscal close. They will discuss what to expect, how to prepare and the fiscal close calendar. This is part of BOC’s Quarterly Webinar: Our Two Cents. Audience: All ANR Employees, especially those with administrative roles.
Zoom: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09 | Password: 4Learning
Giving and Receiving Feedback (TED Talk)
Link
Giving and receiving feedback is a skill most of us haven’t been formally taught, yet it’s essential for growth. Research highlighted by cognitive psychologist LeeAnn Renninger suggests that effective feedback should be clear, specific and focused on future improvement – anchored in what someone can actually do next, rather than vague judgments about past performance. As a giver, aim to be timely, objective and grounded in observable behavior. As a receiver, approach feedback with curiosity rather than defensiveness – listen for what’s useful, ask clarifying questions and decide what to apply. When both sides treat feedback as a shared tool for learning, it becomes less about critique and more about progress.
The importance of feedback mindset (LinkedIn Learning)
You may dread hearing the word “feedback” when it refers to you and your career, but there are few things more valuable in your professional development than a candid assessment of your performance and potential. In this course, Shanita Williams shows you how to examine your relationship with feedback, including your thoughts and past experiences, to develop a feedback mindset. Shanita details ways to effectively process feedback, proactively build ways to solicit feedback into how you work, and continue to grow a pro-feedback mindset. Whether your relationship with feedback is healthy, complicated or nonexistent, this course shows you how to use the information around you and leverage it to reach your career goals. Request your LinkedIn Learning account by contacting ANR IT help@ucanr.edu.
The art and science of feedback (LinkedIn Learning)
All professionals are trying to get better at what they do. No matter where you work or what your role, the only way to improve is with feedback. Giving – and receiving – feedback is a skill that's relevant to every member of an organization. In this course, psychologist and author Gemma Leigh Roberts first guides you through both how to receive feedback effectively – by tuning into a growth mindset, managing your emotional response to feedback, and implementing feedback. Gemma then teaches you on how to effectively provide feedback by reducing bias, following a tested frame for giving feedback and learning how to give feedback regularly. Join Gemma in this course and learn tips that will help lead you into a cycle of continuous development, and a growth mindset that can help propel your career and your relationships forward. Request your LinkedIn Learning account by contacting ANR IT help@ucanr.edu.
Learn something new today.
Image credits:
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