Monday, August 1, 2016

2016 Search for Excellence for the International Master Gardener Conference due August 1

If you have one or more projects in your region that seem to be worthy of this honor, please be aware that the deadline for submission of applications for the 2017 SFE is Monday, August 1, 2016.  Below, you will find a list of important dates leading up to the conference and a summary of the Search for Excellence application guidelines.  Please see the official guidelines at http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/2017imgc/search-for-excellence/ for further information. 

The International Master Gardener Committee appointed a site selection sub-committee to identify host sites for the 2019 and 2021 International Master Gardener Conferences.  We have a solid lead on the 2021 IMGC.  However, a host has not been selected for the 2019 IMGC.  If we can not identify a host for the 2019 IMGC, there will be no International MG Conference in 2019.  The site selection sub-committee, headed by Tony McCammon, is focusing on the north and northeast US or south or southeast Canada for the 2019 conference.  If you are even remotely interested in learning more about hosting the 2019 conference, please contact Tony (tonym@uidaho.edu) and Gail (gail.langellotto@oregonstate.edu). They can both talk to you about support that the International Master Gardener Committee can provide, as you prepare to host.  

Also, looking forward to 2023, and based on the past history of the IMGC (http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/2017imgc/2014/08/04/imgc_past_conferences/)http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/2017imgc/2014/08/04/imgc_past_conferences/) they will be looking to Canada (if they do not host in 2019), the Southwest Region (CA, NV, UT, AZ, CO, NM) or South Central region (TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, KY, TN) to host.  If you are interested in exploring what it would mean to host in 2023, please feel free to contact Tony and Gail.  

3)  If you have not already done so, please sign up to receive the IMGC newsletter:(http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/2017imgc/2016/04/28/imgc-2017-newsletter/).


IMPORTANT DATES

August 1, 2016:  Search for Excellence applications due (emailed to Sharon Box (sharonbox2001@comcast.net) AND to our Box Account (upload.2017_In.n2b5md9a98@u.box.com)
October 8, 2016:  Applicants will hear back about the status of their SFE application by this date.
October 10, 2016 – January 13, 2017:  2017 IMGC early registration
January 14, 2017 –  May 31, 2017:  2017 IMGC registration (no discount)
June 1, 2017 – June 9, 2017:  2017 IMGC late registration (as space allows)
July 10-14, 2017:  2017 IMGC in Portland, Oregon
     
Search for Excellence (SFE) is the recognition program of Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteer work throughout the United States, Canada and South Korea. SFE has seven categories in which EMGs can demonstrate their outstanding contributions to their communities: Youth Programs, Demonstration Gardens, Workshop or Presentation, Community Service, Innovative Projects, Special Need Audiences, and Research.  Only one project may be submitted by a group per category.
  
What makes a project SFE worthy?
1.      Choose the category that best fits the project. (See the Guidelines for Application at http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/2017imgc/search-for-excellence/)  Only ONE project may be submitted by a group per category.
2.      Projects will be judged on their merit from work done between the years 2014-2016.  Projects entered must have completed a full year to be entered.
3.      Projects must be able to be replicated
4.      They must be Practical: easy to use and appropriate to the situation
5.      Original and creative
6.      Compatible with Extension and EMG missions
7.      Have an educational component.
a.      Available to all, extend university resources to public, information provided should be research-based, and significant learning should occur for a number of people.
b.      Extend the resources of the university to the public
c.      Information provided should be university research-based.
d.      Significant learning occurred for a number of people.
Projects that have previously won SFE awards are not eligible in any category.

What must be included in an SFE application?
1.      SFE application must be written by the EMGs involved, not the Extension staff, and must use the template (found in the official guidelines at http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/2017imgc/search-for-excellence/)
2.      An emailed verification letter from your Extension Advisor/Coordinator is required and must come directly from that individual. And verify:
a.      EMGs involved are currently in good standing
b.      Photo releases are on file for all individuals in the photos or as required by 
         the applicable laws of the local state or province.
c.      All application documents have been reviewed.
d.      The deadline for this verification is the same date as the application 
         deadline, Aug. 1, 2016.
e.      Any project submitted without this document will be disqualified.

3.      The application document should be in Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF format and must be no longer than four pages in length using Times New Roman in a 12 point or larger font. Up to six digital photos in JPEG format may be submitted with the application. Your Extension Advisor/Coordinator must email the verification letter along with the application and pictures as attachments (pictures, application and letter must ALL be attachments) to: Sharon Box (sharonbox2001@comcast.net) AND to the Box Account we are using to receive SFE applications (upload.2017_In.n2b5md9a98@u.box.com).  
The Box Account will not accept emails that are sent without attachments (is only uploads the attachments).  Please put the MG program, county and state/province in the subject line of all emails. Questions should be directed to Sharon Box via email (sharonbox2001@comcast.net). No hard copy of mailed applications will be accepted.

Do not send handouts or other large files with this application.  Size your photos to 640 X 480 pixels – no large picture files please.  Submit only the items listed in instructions 1 – 3 above. Any files, extra pictures, handouts, etc. will be disqualified. Any applications longer than 4 pages will also not be accepted for competition.

Receipt of the Extension Coordinator’s email containing the application and attachments along with the Extension Coordinator’s verification comments will be verified via email from the IMGC SFE Committee within two days of receiving it.  If the Extension Coordinator fails to receive verification within 4 business days of submission, contact Sharon Box at sharonbox2001@comcast.net.  We cannot be responsible for applications that we do not receive due to spam mail blockers, etc.



Absolutely No hard copy of mailed applications will be 


accepted.




Before submitting a nomination, it may also be useful to read a bit more about some of the 2015 Search for Excellence Award Winners:


1.     Florence Community Garden (Community Service, 3rd place)
2.    Executive Residence of Tennessee (Demonstration Garden, 1st place)
3.    “The Misadventures of Peter Rabbit in Farmer McGregor’s Vegetable Garden” (Youth, 1st place)
4.    Garden Candy; a kindergarten tomato planting project (Youth, 2nd place)
5.    East Austin Garden Fair (Workshop, 2nd place)
6.    Seed to Supper (Workshop, 3rd place)
7.    Accessible Gardening for Life (Special Needs, 1st place)
8.    Twice on Tuesday Program (Special Needs, 3rd place tie)
9.    Project GROW Garden (Special Needs, 3rd place tie)
10. Plant Problem Scenario Training (Innovative Projects, 1st place)
11.  Sarah’s Garden (Innovative Projects, 2nd place)
12. Online Gardening Chats (Innovative Projects, 3rd place)
13. Researching Biochar (Research, 1st place)

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