Dear friends,
This spring has brought unprecedented changes to how University of Minnesota Extension operates, in ways that none of us could have anticipated. Extension faculty and staff have responded with creative, thoughtful solutions that allow Extension to continue serving all Minnesotans, even in a crisis.
No one knows how long the COVID-19 situation will last, but most public health leaders predict that this is the “new normal,” at least for the next few months.
In this edition of Source, you’ll read a few stories about how our faculty and staff have adapted programming to address the needs of Minnesotans. You’ll read more of these stories of innovation and collaboration over the next few weeks and months in our newsletters, social media and the news media. Our communications team has created a form to pass along ideas for stories about Extension’s role in this time of crisis, and I invite you to share similar stories that you hear about through your networks.
This is a time of many changes for the University and Extension and I am grateful that we have a strong team in place to address the challenge. Please let me know if you have ideas or questions about how Extension is responding.
Bev Durgan, Dean, University of Minnesota Extension