Latinos in the New South - SERA-37 Overview

1. “Latinos in the New South”Overview SERA-37 (Southern Extension and Research Activities Group) of Southern Rural Development Center

2. BRIEF Overview of SERA-37Activities to-date Multi-state conferences (2) Annual meetings Webinar series Individual members’ and states’ research Individual members’ and states’ outreach projects Community and institutional assessments Publications, meeting and conference presentations Multi-state “Latino Domestic Immersion Program” Cooperation with CambiodeColores program/conference

3. Current Plan of Work Objectives • Expand information exchange among land-grant representatives from the South re: Latino concerns, research, programming • Expand, and share, catalogue of research and Extension resources • Identify existing gaps in the research and/or Extension resources that focus on concerns of Latinos

4. Current Plan of Work Objectives • Create a network of persons available to facilitate new research and program that support community and civic understanding, inclusive of students and faculty beyond ‘traditional’ Extension program area • Disseminate a series of information briefs that profile the demographic, educational, social and economic changes associated with the regions changing demographics and Hispanic population • Design and sponsor staff development programs

5. Aspirations identified in Aug 2014 SERA-37 meeting (Birmingham, AL) Population outcomes, i.e. • Increased high school graduation rates among Hispanics • Increased higher education attainment • Improved child care/early childhood education opportunities • Increased entrepreneurship among Latin@s • Improved health status among Hispanics • Improved trust between land grant institutions and Hispanic communities

6. Aspirations identified in Aug 2014 SERA-37 meeting Improved Institutional Capacity, i.e. • Increased Extension engagement with Hispanic communities across all program area of Extension • Collaboration with other institutions/organizations outside the land grant system, i.e. other universities, research and advocacy organizations, community development organizations such as “Welcoming America”, East Coast Migrant Head Start, Healthcare systems, etc. • Professional development, i.e. understanding of Latino and Hispanic cultures, self-improvement in cultural competency, familiarity of immigration system, better understanding of ‘realities’ of immigrant life, etc. • Increased numbers of Latino faculty and staff within Cooperative Extension

7. Aspirations identified in Aug 2014 SERA-37 meeting Improved institutional linkages, i.e. • A strong catalogue of relevant research • A strong catalogue of successful and emerging programming • Engagement of all southern states in SERA-37 • A ‘go-to’ resource on-line catalogue • Replications of Domestic (and International) Immersion Programs • Linkages with relevant research and programming beyond the southern states

8. Research Needs - What(identified in Aug 2014 meeting) • Funding • Data, e.g. economic impact, demographic trends • Assessment of state needs to guide research directions • Comprehensive research review as groundwork • Identification of priority research areas, including more social science research • Cross state, cross-discipline, cross-institution research collaboration

9. Research Needs - Who • Involvement of Experiment Station Director • Support in locating grant opportunities • Multi-institutional cooperation • Collaboration between land grant and non-land grant faculty/researchers • Catalogue of current researchers in the south and/or focusing on the south • More interdisciplinary collaboration

10. Research – Current Assets • Published work of southern researchers, i.e. Juntos and ?????

11. Outreach Needs – What • Community assessment data • An array of different kinds of data • Intercultural competency training opportunities • Involvement of/partnership with Hispanic and Hispanic serving organizations • Communication avenues, i.e. Social media presence • Training programs for Latinos and Hispanic communities, i.e. leadership development • Multi-institutional efforts • Support from state administrators • Success stories (i.e. successful projects!)

12. Outreach Needs - Who • A Cooperative Extension workforce that reflects changing demographics • Culturally competent workforce • Community advocates as partners • Direct service providers as partners • Cooperation with Latin American consulates, i.e. Mexico, Guatemala, other Central American countries, Columbia

13. Outreach – Current Assets • SERA-37 Objectives • A few – but passionate - active SERA members • Some institutional support (depending on state) • Southern Rural Development Center • Growing realization of need for bilingual/bicultural staff

14. Professional Development Needs - What • Institutionalized intercultural training programs/opportunities for Coop. Ext. staff • More experiential immersion projects (domestic and international) • Interstate collaboration opportunities • Long term planning capacity building, i.e. to help plan for staff turnover

15. Professional Development Needs – Who • More Latin@s in administrative positions • Extension personnel ‘willing’ to work with Hispanics • Links to/cooperation with local organizations that are trusted within the Latino community (ies) • Partnerships with Hispanic community role models • Engagement and advice from the southern states whose populations included significant Hispanic/Latino populations earlier

16. Professional Development – Current Assets • SERA-37 • Access to Cultural Competency Training Program(s), i.e. Washington State’s “Navigating Difference”; Minnesota’s “_____” with Bennett, Hammer, Paige; N.C. program(s), Tri-State Diversity Conference • Handful of committed leaders • Work, experience starting in pockets and those faculty/staff can be mentors

17. On-going Challenges