The purpose of the Lunch-n-Learn series is to provide information that supports and promotes the ongoing development of Extension professionals in order to enhance their work within the Extension organization and with the publics they serve.

For 2017, training webinars will be offered through Blackboard Collaborate and typically held 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., the second Friday of the month. The focus of the webinars will be on skill development and/or increasing understanding about organizational information.

Registration is required through the Extension’s Learning Management System (LMS) at http://newton.ces.ncsu.edu/xlms/. For those who cannot attend the webinars or who would like to review the information at a later date, links to the recordings will be available.

Following is the list of the Upcoming Webinars  scheduled for 2017 and Recorded Webinars from 2016 and 2017 for viewing:

Upcoming Webinar

July 14, 2017 12 to  1 p.m. – Peer-Reviewed Extension Publications: Submitting for Approval and the Publishing Process – TO BE RESCHEDULED
Instructor: Debra Ireland, CALS Communications Extension Publications Editor
Find out how to submit peer-reviewed Extension publications through the EP3 approval process and what happens next. Learn about preparing your files for editing and publishing and what to expect throughout the publishing process.

October 13, 2017 12 to 1 p.m. – Working with Different Personalities
Instructor: Dr. David Jones, College of Ag and Life Science – Cancelled 
Working within an office environment means developing an appreciation for each other’s strengths, asking for input from other’s and working tougher. For example, you may like speaking your mind but other’s may not like to hear it. Working with different personalities isn’t easy, but it’s always necessary. This session will present several tips in how to work more effectively with different people and their various personalities.

Recorded Webinar Sessions

Sept 8, 2017 12 to 1 p.m. – Video Production for All Budgets
Instructor: Chris Liotta, CALS Video Producer
This crash course in video production will cover the basics of shooting as well how to achieve quality on a small budget. Learn how to make great videos that have impact.

Aug 11, 2017 12 to 1 p.m.  – Staying Social: How to Make an Impact through Social Media
Instructor: Taylor Craig, University Social Media Specialist
Learn how to use popular social media outlets to communicate, market and inform your community about your work and happenings. With tips, tricks and examples of best practices, this session will help you understand how to streamline and connect with your current and future audiences. Link to Recording

March 10, 2017 12 to 1 p.m.:  What’s New in ERS?
Instructors:  Jim Cowden, North Central District Extension Director & Dr. Meredith Weinstein, Evaluation & Accountability Coordinator. 
This webinar will address new features and sections of ERS that are required by Federal and state, including Client Contacts, Outcomes and Impacts, Success Stories, Civil Rights and Volunteer Activities. Your Individual Plan of Action and Plan of Work starts with selecting the State Major Program Objective(s) you want to report for, then report the outcome and impact numbers under each objective. Come learn about the new expectations for 2017. Link to Recording

April 14, 2017  12 to 1 p.m.  – Qualtrics Tips & Tricks
Instructor: Dr. Meredith Weinstein,  Evaluation & Accountability Coordinator
The Qualtrics Platform makes online data collection and analysis for evaluation projects simple and empowers users to create and deploy surveys. This training session will cover how to create, administer, and analyze a survey. Participants will learn about:

• Selecting a question type,
• Using the question library,
• Using skip logic to direct the survey flow,
• Changing the look and feel of your survey,
• Advanced survey options,
• Survey distribution methods,
• Exporting and analyzing results.

Participants will come away from this session with the knowledge of how to design, administer, and analyze surveys using Qualtrics and be better prepared to collect evaluation data from program participants and community stakeholders. Link to Recording

Feb 10, 2017 12 to 1 p.m.  – Stress Management Revisited
Instructor: Makeba L. Jackson, NC State Learning & Development Consultant
In the ABC’s of Stress Management, we identified ways to manage your stress. We evaluate the effectiveness of the personalized life-style plan to reduce stress. In addition, we will create alternative strategies to deal with stressors of the day. The goal of this session is to reinforce the benefits of managing stress and continuously seek new ways to cope with stress. Link to recording:

Jan 13, 2017 12 to 1 p.m.   ABC’s of Stress Management
Instructor: Makeba L. Jackson, NC State Learning & Development Consultant
The best way to manage your stress is to learn healthy coping strategies. The session designed to make you aware of stress and how it can impact your quality of life. It will provide methods for identifying stressors and strategies to effectively manage them. You construct a personalized life style plan to decrease the impact of stress on your mind, body, spirit and emotions. Link to recording

Dec 16, 2016  12 to 1 p.m.   Taking the Tension out of Extension
Instructor:  Dr. Lucy Bradley, Extension Specialist, Urban Horticulture
So many opportunities and demands, so little time. Becoming over extended and allowing work weeks to stretch to 45 to 50 hours or more leads to personal and family stress and burnout. Dr. Bradley and Dr. Robert Bardon conducted focus groups with 97 Extension agents and directors from counties across the state to identify their strategies for work/life balance. Join Dr. Bradley in this webinar to learn tips for removing the tension from Extension. Link to recording

October 21, 2016  12 to 1 p.m.
Writing News Releases and Columns
Instructor:  Suzanne Stanard, Communications Writer & Editor, CALS
Extension field faculty often have the opportunity to write news releases and columns for their local newspapers. In this webinar, learn when and how to write news releases, the differences between news articles and columns and the key components of columns that attract loyal readers. Link to recording.

Sept. 16,2016    12 to 1 p.m.
When the Media Call
Instructor: Richard Campbell, Chief Communications Officer, CALS
Learn how to build lasting relationships with reporters that can result in ongoing coverage of your programs. Also learn how to respond to reporters’ calls, prepare for interviews, reach your target audience and avoid potential train wrecks along the way.Link to recording

August 19, 2016   12 to 1 p.m.
Effectively Engaging Advisory Council Members
Instructor:  Dr. Harriett Edwards, Assoc. Professor & Ext. Specialist
Advisory Councils serve as critical programming assets for Extension in North Carolina. These volunteers help link Extension to the community and provide a wealth of data to help us make informed decisions throughout the organization. Join us for a conversation about how several county programs are successfully involving advisory council members to make local programs stronger than ever.Link to recording

July 15, 2016        12 to 1 p.m.
Tools for Team Excellence
Instructor:  Cameron Lowe, CED, Currituck County
The focus of this webinar will be on how to build and maintain an effective team within the context of Cooperative Extension. We will look at what makes an effective team and explore some tips and insights for leading great teams.Link to Recording

June 17, 2016  12 to 1 p.m.
Essentials of Customer Service
Instructor:  Dr. Rhonda Sutton, Org Development Leader, EOD
Dealing with the public is necessary for all who work in Cooperative Extension. Given this, strong customer service skills are needed to effectively and successfully interact with those seeking assistance from Extension. This webinar provides an overview of the basic elements of good customer service as well as how to deal with the unpleasant people we sometimes encounter on the phone, in person or via e-mail.
Link to Recording

May 20, 2016     12 to 1 p.m.
Managing Difficult Conversations
Instructor:  Dr. Mary Lou Addor, Leadership and OD Specialist, EOD
Difficult conversations can pose a great deal of trepidation in spite of being an inevitable part of the workplace. What kind of preparation is valuable for difficult discussions? How can you manage these interactions toward beneficial outcomes for those involved? This session will provide techniques and tips helpful in managing difficult conversations.Link to Recording

April 15, 2016        12 to 1 p.m.
Volunteers in N.C. Cooperative Extension
Instructor:  Dr. Harriett Edwards, Assoc. Professor & Ext. Specialist
Face it: volunteers make Extension programming happen in our state. This session is an opportunity to think about how we recruit volunteers to help, about determining what tasks to assign volunteers, and to share ideas for recognizing volunteers.
Link to Recording

March 18, 2016    12 to 1 p.m.
Extension Reporting Made Simple
Instructor:  Jim Cowden, DED, North Central District
This webinar will address the sections of ERS that are required by Federal and state, including Client Contacts, Outcomes and Impacts, Success Stories, Civil Rights and Volunteer Activities. Your Individual Plan of Action and Plan of Work starts with selecting the State Major Program Objective(s) you want to report for, then report the outcome and impact numbers under each objective.Link to Recording

February 19, 2016  12 to 1 p.m.
Navigating Through NCSU’s Leave Program
Instructor:  Cheryl Howard, Leave Administrator, Extension Personnel
Common questions: What is Family Medical Leave? When does it apply and how do I use it? What should I do if I am injured on the job? Learn about these programs and how easy they are to use!Link to Recording

January 22, 2016  12 to 1 p.m.
Conflict Resolution
Instructor:  Dr. Rhonda Sutton, Organizational Development Leader, EOD
This webinar provides an overview of conflict management styles as well as strategies for how to resolve conflicts.Link to Recording