We’d like to extend a huge thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated in last week’s Innovate Extension UrbanX event! We are thrilled to have spent an entire day dedicated to innovation and creativity in Extension. Your ideas were inspiring!
After an energizing keynote workshop led by ImprovEdge, each team spent nearly 5 hours during the hackathon developing a unique and innovative idea to address a challenge or opportunity related to urban – rural interdependence both internal or external to Extension. Teams created “Zen Statements,” or concise overviews of their ideas, and then pitched their ideas, concepts, and projects to a panel of judges at the end of the event, which included Extension administrators as well as influential community members.
Judging Panel
Pictured (from left to right): Quintin Jesse, Ryan Schmiesing, Julie Fox, Jay Clouse, Roger Rennekamp, Jackie Kirby-Wilkins, Brad Gaolach, Donte Woods-Spikes, Ben Lewis, and Jerry Thomas
Coaches and Key Informants
Pictured (front row, left to right): Ashley Miller, Scott Sheeler, Chris Hill, Daphne Richards (Back row, left to right): Melissa Miller, Loren Stone, Dan Montour, Joshua David McClurg-Genevese, Ryan Wynkoop, Karen Jeannette, Bradd Anderson, Jamie Seger, Hunter McBrayer, Erin Powell, Josh Dallin, Anand Khurma, Mike Letscher, Mike Ong, George Li, Byron Roush
Below is a recap of our teams, awards, and events of the day:
Teams
City Smarties Team
Team members: Beth Boomershine, Sue Hogan, Mark Light, Laquore Meadows
Coaches: David Staley and Mike Letscher
Zen Statement: The journey of bringing diverse youth together to be drivers of change in the Smart Cities Challenge
Sub-award: Best Use of Claymation Award
Community Collaborators Team
Team members: Laura Akgerman, Ed Brown, Lisa Pfeifer
Coaches: Anand Khurma and Mike Ong
Zen Statement: An adaptive toolkit for gardeners of curated content enabling Extension Educators to deliver programming focusing on assistive design technologies
Sub-award: Best Adaptability Award
Extension Leadership Network Team
Team members: Laura Fuller, Tim McDermott, Brian Raison
Coaches: Ryan Wynkoop and Byron Roush
Zen Statement: A statewide network for Extension professionals that shares innovative leadership programs, resources, ideas, and energy to better reach the community and organizations we serve.
Sub-award: Best Prototype Award
Farm to School/Local Lunch Leaders Team
Team members: Carol Smathers, Heather Neikirk, Amy Fovargue, Katie Riemenschneider, Tony Staubach, Amanda Osbourne, Patrice Powers-Barker
Coaches: Karen Jeannette and Scott Sheeler
Zen Statement: Creating and empowering school-based teams to foster Farm-to-School activities across the cafeteria, classroom, and community for the people who purchase, serve, and eat school food that overcome barriers to better school food and promote an appreciation for healthy food systems, enabling a greater voice among key customer groups through team-building and mentoring. Unlike efforts focused on singular groups at a time, we build community capacity using evidence-based programs across an accessible state-side network.
Sub-award: Big Umbrella Award
Live Healthy Live Well Team
Team members: Alisha Barton, Lisa Barlage, Pat Brinkman, Misty Harmon, Michelle Treber
Coaches: Erin Powell and Chris Hill
Zen Statement: Buckeye 365 will help you provide positive family discussions anywhere. We’ll give you the tools and conversation starters to encourage your family to start talking.
Sub-award: Will Ferrell More Cowbell Award
On-farm Research Team
Team members: Carol Hamilton, Mike Estadt, Mary Griffith, Rob Leeds, Kaylee Port, Lee Richter, Elizabeth Hawkins
Coaches: Hunter McBrayer and Loren Stone
Zen Statement: An Extension research toolkit for Educators and consumers that offers non-biased information in a thrilling and engaging style enabling a better understanding and utilization in on-farm research.
Sub-award: Most Sparkiest Award
Rethinking Extension Advisory Committee Team
Team members: Morgan Domokos, Joanna Fifner, Ashley Kulhanek, Kyle White
Coaches: Bradd Anderson
Zen Statement: A league of ambassadors for OSU Extension that advocate and connect, collaboratively identifying the solutions of tomorrow for emerging challenges and opportunities of today replacing current Extension Advisory Committees.
Sub-award: Killing a Sacred Cow Award
This is Extension Team
Team members: Stacey Baker, Beth Frey, Amy Meehan, Jera Oliver, Amanda Woods,
Coaches: Melissa Miller, Ashley Miller, Dan Montour
Zen Statement: A virtual front door for all Ohioans that will provide simplified access to Extension services and new ways to engage and connect.
Sub-award: Biggest Challenge Award
Urban Ag Team
Team members: Jim Jasinski, Jacquline Kowalski, Suzanne Mills-Wasniak, Elizabeth Roche, Mike Hogan
Coaches: Josh Dallin and Joshua David McClurg-Genevese
Zen Statement: Ready-made, customizable garden kit delivered to your door, connecting you to gardening and growing food.
Sub-award: Social Responsibility Award
Keynote speakers, April Olt and Dan Montour from ImprovEdge in Columbus, kickstarted the day with an enthusiastic workshop.
The Three-Headed Expert, an ImprovEdge activity, was a fun way to get participants to say “YES!” to new ideas.
After an invigorating keynote workshop, teams starting working on their ideas.
After hours of hard work, each team had the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of judges.
At the end of the day, OSU Extension Director, Roger Rennekamp also announced that the panel of judges awarded all nine teams with the opportunity to move their idea forward through Adobe Kickbox. Kickbox is an innovator program in a box. Adobe developed Kickbox by drawing on 30 years of industry experience in successful innovation. Teams will emerge from the Kickbox experience with a refined and validated project proposal to present to OSUE administrative cabinet in the Fall of 2017 for potential seed funding to pilot their projects. The OSU Extension Ed Tech Unit, along with Utah State University Extension Associate Professor and eXtension Innovation Lab Assistant Director Paul Hill, will serve as Kickbox mentors to guide teams through this exciting professional development experience over the next several weeks.
Teams were excited to look inside their Kickbox!
A peek at the amazing awards and door prizes that were handed out during the event.