2026: Showcasing Extension Action Toward Resilient Communities and Lands Virtual Convening September 30, 2026
1:00–4:00 p.m. ET | 12:00–3:00 p.m. CT | 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. MT | 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. PT
Virtual via Zoom | Free
How can Cooperative Extension help communities, decision-makers, and natural resource professionals navigate increasingly complex challenges and build more resilient communities and lands?
On September 30, 2026, Extension colleagues from across the country will come together virtually to explore that question during 2026: Showcasing Extension Action Toward Resilient Communities and Lands.
Hosted by the Extension Foundation in partnership with the Resilient Communities and Lands Program Action Team (PAT), this free, interactive virtual convening will showcase the work of four national working groups and create an opportunity for Extension professionals and partners to help shape what comes next.
From Ideas to Action
Over the past year and a half, four working groups have been developing resources, exploring approaches, and identifying opportunities for Cooperative Extension to strengthen resilience:
- Policies and Policymaker Engagement – advancing Extension's ability to engage administrators, policymakers, and other decision-makers around resilience challenges and opportunities.
- Fostering Resilient Communities – exploring approaches and resources that help communities build capacity, strengthen connections, and take action.
- Implementing a Climate Response – developing practical approaches for Extension professionals working with communities as they respond to changing climate-related risks.
- Advancing 21st-Century Health and Well-Being for All – considering how resilience, health, and well-being intersect and how Extension can contribute to healthier, more resilient communities.
The September convening provides an opportunity to move beyond simply reporting on this work. Participants will see what has been developed, explore how resources can be applied in their own programs, identify gaps, and consider opportunities for continued collaboration.
More Than a Showcase
The event is designed as an interactive convening rather than a traditional conference presentation.
The first portion will provide an overview of the work and highlight accomplishments from the four working groups. Participants who want to go deeper will then have an opportunity to engage with the work through focused discussions and breakout sessions.
The breakout sessions are intended to help answer questions such as:
How can these resources be used in Extension programs?
What additional tools or approaches are needed?
Where are the gaps in our current work?
What should Extension focus on next?
How can we continue building a national community of practice around resilient communities and lands?
Participants will have opportunities to provide feedback, share experiences from their own states and communities, explore potential applications, and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Why This Matters to Natural Resource Extension
Natural resource Extension professionals are already working at the intersection of many of the issues addressed by the working groups—from climate adaptation and community planning to natural resource management, disaster resilience, environmental health, policy engagement, and community capacity building.
The work of building resilience also increasingly requires us to work across disciplines and beyond traditional Extension audiences.
A community addressing flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, coastal change, water resources, or other emerging challenges may need natural resource expertise alongside community development, health, financial, agricultural, and policy perspectives.
The September convening is an opportunity to connect those pieces.
It also provides an opportunity for ANREP members and other natural resource professionals to bring their own experience to the conversation. What approaches are working in your state? What resources are missing? What do communities need from Extension that they are not currently receiving?
Those perspectives can help shape the next phase of national work.
Two Ways to Participate
The virtual convening will be held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. ET via Zoom.
Part 1 | 1:00–1:50 p.m. ET
If you are new to the Resilient Communities and Lands work or would like a broad overview, join us for the first portion of the event. Working groups will highlight their accomplishments and the resources developed over the past year and a half.
Part 2 | 2:00–4:00 p.m. ET
If you are interested in digging deeper, stay for the second portion. Participants will explore collaborations, applications, national gaps, priorities, and opportunities for the next phase of the work.
You do not need to be a member of one of the working groups to participate.
What You Can Take Away
Participants can expect to:
- Discover new tools and resources that can support Extension programs and communities.
- Learn from colleagues working on resilience across disciplines and geographic regions.
- Explore ways to apply emerging resources in local and state programs.
- Identify gaps and opportunities for future Extension work.
- Connect with colleagues who are addressing similar challenges.
- Contribute ideas that can help shape the next phase of national resilience efforts.
Most importantly, the convening is an invitation to participate in the work—not simply to hear about it.
Be Part of the Next Chapter
The four working groups have generated significant momentum. The September 30 convening is an opportunity to share that progress while asking an equally important question: Where do we go from here?
Whether you are already engaged in resilience work or are looking for ways to incorporate resilience into your Extension programming, your experience and perspective can help identify the priorities, partnerships, and resources needed for the next phase.
Join colleagues from across Cooperative Extension on September 30 and help shape the future of Extension action toward resilient communities and lands.
Click to register
Questions or additional information: Contact Regan Emmons.
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