The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) consists of Cooperative Extension professionals from across the nation working to help communities improve the delivery of services to citizens affected by disasters. Within this organization, a smaller group of professionals with a specific mission, play a vital role in helping limited resource clientele during disasters. This group is known as the 1890-EDEN Advisory Group (AG). The EDEN AG is a collaboration of 1890 Land-grant Universities that function within the national EDEN. The 1890 Land-grant Universities are the 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities located primarily in the southern region of the United States.
Dr. Noel M. Estwick
Dr. Noel M. Estwick, assistant professor of agribusiness and research scientist for Prairie View A&M University, (PVAMU) is the principal investigator for the 1890-EDEN project. He recently shared important information about the 1890-EDEN AG to acclimate EDEN members about the group’s origin and accomplishments. Below is a question-and-answer session highlighting the conversation.
When and how did the 1890 EDEN AG begin?
Estwick: The 1890-EDEN AG began in 2017 with a grant from the EDEN Executive Committee to me at (PVAMU). A sub-award was issued to Finis Stribling III from Tennessee State University. The project title was “Exploring the Needs for 1890-EDEN Growth.” Consequently, in 2017, I was hosted by Beverly Samuels, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) National Program Leader for the Division of Family & Consumer Sciences to participate in the Visiting Scholar Program. Stribling and I worked with the EDEN Executive Committee, the 1890 Association of Extension Administrators (AEA), and the other the 1890 network institutions. We also worked along with 1862 partners to assemble the first 1890-EDEN AG meeting. This took place at the PVAMU Northwest Houston Center from May 30 to June 2. Attendees included 21 Extension professionals representing 13 1890 institutions.
Share some of the success stories, highlights or impacts of the EDEN 1890 AG since its creation?
Estwick: The AG hosts an annual face-to-face meeting to conduct training and strategic planning. Members have presented webinars and created an action plan which serves as the roadmap for AG initiatives. We have also conducted trainings for the EDEN post-conference and collaborated with our 1862 EDEN partners to conduct trainings in Illinois and Mississippi. In addition, we have worked with other academic institutions, federal and nonfederal partners to conduct trainings in family preparedness, family estate planning and COAD Development and Maintenance.
In February 2024, the AG hosted a bootcamp for producers that included sessions on crisis communication for disasters, mental health and well-being in disasters, assessing and planning for agricultural risks and disasters recovery resources for producers.
AG institutions have partnered to respond to requests for proposals and successfully received two externally funded grants from Southern SARE and one EDEN development grant. In addition, the AG partnered with the Texas A&M University System and the Texas Division of Emergency Management to host the 2023 Preparedness, Response to, Innovation on Mitigation of, and Recovery (PRIMR) Conference on the campus of PVAMU. This unique conference brings emergency management practitioners, allied professionals, researchers, educators, students and community leaders together to share disaster best practices, lessons learned, or not yet learned, and insights from all dimensions of disaster readiness.
Describe some of the goals, objectives of the AG?
Estwick: The overarching goal of the AG is to facilitate oversight and re-engagement of the 1890 institutions in national EDEN. Objectives include working with USDA-NIFA and EDEN on strategies to build emergency management capacity in the 1890 community. Also, identifying and forming strategic collaborations to achieve the action plan goals, and delivering programs, information and resources tailored for limited resource clientele.
Where and when does the group meet?
Estwick: In addition to the annual face-to-face meeting, the group meets monthly through Zoom.
For questions about the 1890 EDEN AG, contact Estwick at ude.umavp@kciwtsemn or Dr. Michelle Ely at ude.tacn@yelelm.
