NEAFCS Annual Conference in St. Paul, MN
NEWS RELEASE: October 8, 2007
University of Vermont Extension Specialists programming in Family Consumer Sciences, Judy Branch, Dianne Lamb, Diane Mincher, and Richard A. LeVitre, Associate Director for Faculty Support recently attended the seventy-second Annual Session of the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) held in St. Paul, Minnesota. 
More than 800 Extension Educators were in attendance at the Conference representing the 50 States and American Samoa. Extension Educators were honored for their outstanding program accomplishments.
The overall theme of the Annual Session was Bridging Scholarship & Entrepreneurship. The Annual Session focused on family and consumer science issues relevant to the 21st century need for extension educators to bring entrepreneurial vision and practicality to the profession. With its setting alongside the great Mississippi River and as one of the nation’s hubs of entrepreneurial activity, St. Paul was both metaphorically and literally the ideal setting to explore the links between entrepreneurship and scholarship while learning about new technologies, discovering population and cultural changes affecting extension programming and discussing family issues on local, state and national levels.
Keynote addresses included acclaimed New York journalist and author David Bornstein on How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. Internationally-renowned evaluator, Dr. Michael Quinn Patton of St. Paul, addressed the group on Deepening Extension’s Knowledge Base: Best Practices and High Quality Lessons Learned. Underscoring the association’s commitment to diversity, the closing keynote address was Teaching Culture through Laughter, presented by Tou Ger Xiong of Minneapolis.
Extension Educators were able to broaden their knowledge, professionally and personally, through more than 70 educational seminars, exhibits and 48 Showcase of Excellence Displays. 
Vermont Extension Specialist, Diane Mincher presented an educational seminar, Food, Culture, and Reading Aftershool. Participants learned about the National 4-H CCS designed nutrition education program for youth in grades four to six.
Judy Branch, University of Vermont Extension Associate Professor accepted a national communication award for a team video that highlighted cooperative efforts of the Jumpstart Coalition in education and public policy to achieve greater youth financial literacy. 
NEAFCS honored Will Mikell, producer of Across the Fence (ATF), Keith Silva, ATF Senior Videographer, Gregg Mousley, Vermont Jumpstart Coalition President and Professor Branch for creating the youth financial literacy video that promotes the High School Financial Planning Program the National Endowment for Financial Education provides without charge to teachers, home-school parents and human service educators for financial education.
During the regional meetings, Branch also received a first place communication award in NEAFCS Eastern Region for a radio spot that discussed credit card savvy. How to get information from a VT Jumpstart Coalition Conference for teachers and parents as well as from local Extension offices closed the public service announcement.
University of Vermont Extension Associate Professor, Diane Mincher was honored by receiving a Continued Excellence NEAFCS Award while participating at the Annual Session. 
Professor Mincher continues to be proactive in developing very successful nationally recognized nutrition and literacy programs such as Food, Fun, and Reading and Growing Connections, a garden-enhanced nutrition education program. 
Ms. Mincher also won a first place Regional award for Food, Culture and Reading, a nutrition education program for a pre-school to grade two that uses picture books to learn about food and different cultures. Professor Mincher’s varied programming efforts have improved the quality of life for Vermonters.
Dianne Lamb, University of Vermont Extension Associate Professor, presented a Showcase of Excellence (poster session) entitled, Healthful Eating Self-Test: A Tool for Energizing Nutrition Programs. This presentation represented the work of UVM Extension Professors, Linda Berlin, Diane Mincher, M. Dale Steen, and Dianne Lamb. During the NEAFCS Eastern Regional Meeting (New England, NY, NJ, PA, DE, DC, MD, and WV). Participants are able to download this educational material to help their participants analyze their eating plans.
[Dianne Lamb with Eastern Regional Director, Louise Kirkland]
Professor Lamb was elected to NEAFCS National Nominating Committee, which will be responsible for recruiting candidates to run for regional and national offices at the annual session that will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana in September 2008. Lamb also served as a voting delegate from Vermont at the NEAFCS national business meeting.
Participants enjoyed the upper midwestern hospitality of St. Paul during the Friendship and Welcome Event held at the Minnesota Museum of Science. 
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