Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 02/04/2021

Publications

Overview of Broadband Funding Opportunities in the COVID-19 Relief Act
The National Law Review provides this summary on broadband and telehealth funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act which establishes or re-appropriates a number of significant broadband-related support programs.

Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities
USDA offers an updated guide for building sustainable farms, ranches, and communities for producers, researchers, nonprofits and landowners to easily find programs to help them achieve their goals.

FCC’s Fourteenth Broadband Deployment Report
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports on broadband deployment in the U.S. with information specific to broadband access in rural and tribal communities and the U.S. territories.

Tech Talent Tracker
The Opportunity Project provides this tool to create data-driven reports to help community leaders understand the state of their local tech economies. This tool will help to empower rural decision makers by offering crucial information including county-level data, maps and charts on key metrics related to a county’s digital economy.

Economic Impact Payments
Most eligible taxpayers have received their first Economic Impact Payment by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. If you didn’t get any payments or got less than the full amounts, you may be eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 federal tax return.

Event Opportunities

FY 2021 Strategic Economic and Community Development Funding Opportunity
Feb. 9 | Webinar
Join USDA to learn about the Fiscal Year 2021 funding opportunity known as Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD). This webinar will introduce attendees to the Innovation Center, provide an overview of Farm Bill changes to SECD and highlight the FY 2021 application requirements and process. 

Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) Workshop: COVID-19, Resources to Support the Rural Workforce
Feb. 11 | Virtual Workshop
In this workshop, representatives from USDA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Economic Development Administration will explore Federal resources and opportunities that can be used to provide relief to America’s rural workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applying to Citizens' Institute on Rural Design
Feb. 9 | Webinar
Join the National Endowment for the Arts, the Housing Assistance Council, and To Be Done Studio to ask questions and receive guidance on the Request for Applications for the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design. This webinar will inform potential applicants about the details of our program—both the local Design Workshops and the Design Learning Cohort—and guide you through the application.

Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant Webinar
Feb. 16 | Webinar
Join USDA to learn about grants being made available to rural communities with limited staff and resources to build the capacity needed to access USDA funding to support essential community facilities. This webinar is for potential applicants and anyone interested in learning more about the program.

Rural Community Development Initiative Webinar
Feb. 18 | Webinar
Join USDA to learn about grants being made available for projects to improve housing, community facilities, and community and economic development in rural areas. This webinar is for potential applicants and anyone interested in learning more about the program.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum
Feb. 18 - 19 | Free Virtual Conference
The 97^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum theme is “Building on Innovation: A Pathway to Resilience”. This is the largest annual meeting and premiere event, independent of commercial interests, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It aims to facilitate information sharing among stakeholders and generate the transparency that supports well-functioning open markets and will feature a panel of distinguished guest speakers and breakout sessions.

Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 01/19/2021

Publications and Resources

FEMA Resource Roadmaps
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Get help navigating some of the challenges and resources available to address the COVID-19 pandemic. This resource roadmap allows the searcher to find potential solutions and applicable resources, including federal funding support and technical assistance.

New $10,000 EIDL Grants (Advance): Do you Qualify?
SCORE
Supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), offers this resource to outline the basics for small businesses on grants (advances) associated with SBAs Economic Injury Disaster Loan.

ASCENT
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
SBA launched an interactive digital platform packed with resources designed for the “missing middle” or growth-oriented female entrepreneur looking to grow their business.

Business Response Survey to the Coronavirus Pandemic Top of Form
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
This information, combined with data collected by other current BLS surveys, made aid in understanding how businesses responded during the pandemic and show changes in employment, wages, job openings and terminations, employer-provided benefits, and safety and health.

Event Opportunities

What's New with PPP and Other Relief Options for Small Businesses
Jan. 21 | Webinar
SCORE’s Mentor Program offers current information to learn about what’s in the new relief package with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) featuring a Q&A section to discuss what this could mean for your small business.

Healthcare Redefined: Transforming the Future of Health IT
Jan. 26 | Webinar
Nextgov and Cisco present a webinar on innovations in telehealth, electronic health records and 3D printing as the federal government is utilizing emerging technology to improve everything from contact tracing to vaccine approval processes. They will discuss how agencies can ensure that these devices and large swaths of critical data remain secure as government continues to modernize for mission success.

Agritourism around the US: Findings from a National Survey of Farms Open to Visitors for Education, Entertainment, Recreation, Hospitality and Product Sales
Jan. 28 | Virtual Meeting
National Extension Tourism Team plans to share research from a multi-state team of specialists gathered from farms, ranches, and vineyards on their tourism activity ranging from overnight stays, tastings, events, community supported agriculture (CSA), tours, to hunting. Survey questions included products and experiences offered, motivations, challenges, profitability measures, and plans for the future. They received 1834 responses representing all 50 states and they plan to share the survey findings with a focus on regional differences across the US. Registration is required.

Registration is Open for NARC’s Virtual National Conference of Regions!
Feb. 8 - 12 | Virtual Conference
Join the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) for the 2021 National Conference of Regions.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum  
Feb. 18 - 19 | Free Virtual Conference
The 97^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum theme is “Building on Innovation: A Pathway to Resilience”. This is the largest annual meeting and premiere event, independent of commercial interests, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It aims to facilitate information sharing among stakeholders and generate the transparency that supports well-functioning open markets and will feature a panel of distinguished guest speakers and breakout sessions.

Innovation Matters, Educational Opportunities 1/6/2021

Publications and Resources

HHS Report: Strengthening the Entry-Level Health Care Workforce
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
This report provides an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities for this segment of the health care workforce and identifies entry-level positions as one option for expanding community-level capacity while also increasing employment opportunities.

FDIC’s 2020 Community Banking Study
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
FDIC released a new large-scale study on the state of the nation’s community banks and find community banks played a critical role in providing access to credit in several key areas of the U.S. economy, particularly through lending to support commercial real estate, small businesses and agriculture.

Energy Data Management Guide
U.S. Department of Energy
The Department provides states, local governments, and K-12 school districts with a step-by-step approach to establish a robust and sustainable energy data management program to reduce energy use, save taxpayer dollars, and improve the efficiency of operations. Get started today and join the public-sector organizations featured in the guide that have achieved sustained energy savings of at least 2% per year.

USDA Programs in the Local Food Supply Chain
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
This publication highlights more than 30 USDA grants, programs, and services in support of local food economies featuring grants, research, education, and technical assistance opportunities.

Event Opportunities

Rural America at a Glance, 2020 Edition
Recorded | Webinar
USDA's Economic Research Service presents findings from their recent publication Rural America at a Glance: 2020 Edition.

Grow with Google: Helping Jobseekers Kickstart Their Careers in High-Demand Fields
Recorded | Podcast
National Association of Workforce Boards program featuring a discussion with Google who is looking to partner with local workforce boards through their “Grow with Google” program that creates opportunities for nontraditional talent to kickstart careers in high demand fields, including IT.

National Tribal Listening Session on Community Reinvestment Act Modernization
Jan. 14 | Virtual Event
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System offer this virtual event for tribal nationals to learn about Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) modernization and offer feedback to ensure the modernized CRA is responsive to the needs of tribal nations and Indigenous people.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum
Feb. 18 - 19 | Free Virtual Conference
The 97^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum theme is “Building on Innovation: A Pathway to Resilience”. This is the largest annual meeting and premiere event, independent of commercial interests, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It aims to facilitate information sharing among stakeholders and generate the transparency that supports well-functioning open markets and will feature a panel of distinguished guest speakers and breakout sessions.

Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 12/15/2020

Publications and Resources

AskUSDA Contact Center
USDA launched the AskUSDA Contact Center to transform how the public interacts with USDA to provide a streamlined approach to improve customer service. Contact AskUSDA by phone at (833) ONE-USDA. Representatives are available 9:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. EST on weekdays. The website is available 24/7 and includes live chat agents available 10:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m. EST on weekdays. Inquiries may also be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Job Quality Tools Library
The Aspen Institute, with support from Prudential Foundation, developed a library of online tools to support leaders working in a variety of fields related to economic opportunity to engage in practical action to improve jobs offering tools, resources, and guidance to help leaders strengthen job quality across labor markets.

Using Data Systems To Improve Workforce Development Outcomes in A Changing Landscape
U.S. Department of Labor’s WorkforceGPS program features three new publications in support of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act with information on data integration and continuous program outcome improvement: A Changing Workforce Development Landscape; Registered Apprenticeship Program RAP; and Putting Data to Work.

Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success Applicant Toolkit
U.S. Department of Transportation offers a new resource to support the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success initiative. This toolkit helps support communities to better identify and navigate agency grant funding opportunities.

A Research Strategy for Enhancing Sustainable Recreation and Tourism on Public Lands
USDA Forest Service, in collaboration with the Igniting the Science of Outdoor Recreation Working Group, developed a research-based strategy for outdoor recreation and tourism on public lands.

Event Opportunities

Supporting Solar
Dec. 17 | Webinar
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office hosts a stakeholder webinar to give an overview of work supporting solar entrepreneurs and commercialization pathways of new solar technologies, with special guests from the American-Made Solar Prize, the Small Business Innovation Research program, and a competitive funding program.

Tourism Discussions: A Lesson in Flexibility
Dec. 17 | Webinar
This webinar is part of the National Extension Tourism (NET) webinar series and features real-time tourism and community development tips on flexibility and re-planning coming straight from the leadership of the 2020 Coastal Georgia Tourism Conference. It will feature online facilitated discussions around development with outdoor recreation, local grown food/drink, and heritage and culture.

USDA ERS Rural America at a Glance, 2020 Edition
Dec. 18 | Webinar
USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) will present findings from their 2020 publication which summarizes population trends, employment, poverty, income in rural areas and recent demographic and economic conditions in rural areas resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic recession.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum
Feb. 18-19 | Free Virtual Conference
The 97^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum theme is “Building on Innovation: A Pathway to Resilience”. This is the largest annual meeting and premiere event, independent of commercial interests, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It aims to facilitate information sharing among stakeholders and generate the transparency that supports well-functioning open markets and will feature a panel of distinguished guest speakers and breakout sessions.

2021 Cultural Wealth Conference: “The Role of the Arts and Cultural Capital in Rural Innovation and Entrepreneurship”
Feb. 23 – 25 | Virtual Conference
The Rural Policy Research Institute, with the support of USDA, is hosting this conference on the important role that arts and cultural capital play in rural innovation, community well-being, and rural community sustainability, while also exploring the role of arts and culture in rural communities through both qualitative and quantitative studies.

How Community Development Organizations Change When They Embrace Arts and Culture
Recorded Webinar
PolicyLink developed a series of webinars to support ArtPlace America’s Community Development Investments initiative to share experiences and lessons for community development corporations, nonprofit housing developers, health services providers, park associations and economic development agencies.