The National Extension Tourism Design Team recently was selected to receive funding and technical support as a participant in the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) project accelerator program, aimed at helping NET pursue organizational growth that makes it more financially sustainable and increases the reach of tourism and recreation Extension programming and research.
The NTAE program is made possible by funding from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a partnership with Oklahoma State University and the Extension Foundation. The NET-NTAE project builds on a longstanding partnership between the NET and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), who is providing leadership to this project. Serving as the project’s Fellow is Dr. Lisa Chase, University of Vermont Extension natural resources specialist and director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center. Dr. Scott Reed, emeritus vice provost for University Outreach and Engagement at Oregon State University, is serving as the project’s “Catalyst,” providing mentorship and guidance and connecting team members to the Extension Foundation’s expertise. NERCRD staff providing leadership and support to the initiative include Kristen Devlin (communications specialist), Dr. Jason Entsminger (associate director), and Dr. Stephan Goetz (director).
“We are grateful for the opportunity to expand NET’s impacts with support from the Extension Foundation and the NERCRD,” said Lisa Chase. “We invite colleagues throughout the US to join our efforts as we scale-up NET and further our reach and impacts with a focus on underserved communities.”
The project is already creating opportunities for greater involvement in NET: the development of a series of documents aimed at demonstrating how Extension tourism programming can elevate other program areas. Learn more here.
For updates on outcomes of this project, be sure to subscribe to the NET listserv: http://bit.ly/NET-list.