NATIONAL SEA GRANT ACADEMY

Session II
October 4-9, 2009

4-H Camp Timpoochee
4750 Timpoochee Lane
Niceville, FL 32578
(850) 897-2224

Registration

Extension, education and communication professionals from the State Sea Grant College Programs are invited to participate in the 2nd National Sea Grant Academy.

Session I was conducted in Chevy Chase, MD, February 8-14, 2009.

Session II will be held at Camp Timpoochee in Niceville, FL, October 4-9, 2009.

One of the underlying principles of the National Sea Grant College is "to produce a highly trained workforce." The Assembly of Sea Grant Extension Program Leaders (Assembly) recognized this need for workforce training since its inception in the early 1990s. The Assembly also recognized the need for an intensive "face-to-face" training of newly hired Sea Grant Professionals. As a result of a number of meetings and consultations with the Assembly and the National Sea Grant Office, the first Athelstan Spilhaus National Sea Grant Extension Academy was convened in 2005.

Vision - To build capacity of Sea Grant Extension to meet the needs of America's Coastal Community.

Statement of Mission - The National Sea Grant Extension Academy shall contribute to Sea Grant faculty and staff's development by providing a foundation in the NOAA Sea Grant culture, and fundamentals of Sea Grant extension philosophy and skills.

Goals -

  • To improve the knowledge and skills needed for work as a Sea Grant Extension Faculty
  • To provide information critical to career as a Sea Grant Professional
  • To provide a national perspective on the role of Sea Grant within NOAA
  • To instill a Sea Grant ethos among Academy participants
  • To encourage the pursuit of lifelong learning

Objectives - To have Sea Grant Extension Academy participants -

  • Understand Sea Grant organizational structure within which the various state programs exist
  • Understand and apply extension fundamentals in their local programs
  • Learn the basic extension process skills that will meet their client needs
  • Become aware of administrative and management procedures common to all state's programs

Course of Study - The following are topics that will be covered during the Academy:

A. Management-based Issues

  1. History of the Sea Grant College Program
  2. The Department of Commerce - - history and present organization
  3. An overview of NOAA
  4. The role of the Sea Grant National Office
  5. Mission, Objectives and Goals of Sea Grant and Sea Grant Extension

B. The "Process Skills"

  1. The nature of employment in Extension (What is it one does for a living)?
  2. Working with the public
  3. The art of compromise - dealing with controversy
  4. Group and meeting facilitation

C. Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation

  1. Identification of issues at the local level
  2. Formulating a plan of work (POW)
  3. Implementation of a POW
  4. Evaluation of programs

D. Policy and Operational Issues

  1. The realities of politics (politics is not a dirty word)
  2. Navigating the "neutral broker" concept during policy development
  3. Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy vs. Pedagogy)
  4. Role of local advisory committee
  5. Grantsmanship
  6. Working with the media
  7. Using and managing volunteers
  8. Balancing professional and personal activities

Contact Information -

Dr. Michael Spranger
(352) 392-1837 ext. 226

Treva Damron
(352) 392-1837 ext. 225

For Registration Questions:
Sharon Borneman
UF/IFAS Office of Conferences
Email: spb@ufl.edu
(352) 392-5930