This is an exciting time in the Community Capacity Building (CCB) concentration area, as we are in our “sunset” year, the year we work to integrate Community Capacity building into all the OneOp concentration areas. To do that, we recognized we needed a social media specialist that could devote a larger portion of their time to this effort, and someone with experience not only with the technological, but also with working among military families and communities. We needed someone who could build upon the excellent foundation our previous social media specialist laid (thank you Patti!) and help us create models of how the work of community capacity building for military families is a “bullseye” for the cooperative extension system’s mission and capabilities.
We are happy to announce that we have found that person! Please welcome Mitch McCormick as the new CCB Social Media Specialist!
Mitch has worked for the Cornell Cooperative Extension system for six years, working with the community in Jefferson County, home of Fort Drum, through many roles which include afterschool programming, youth entrepreneurship initiatives, makerspace development and connecting local students to Cornell University Research Projects.
Mitch has been involved in several notable projects, most recently he worked with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research to implement an intergenerational study, Building a Community Legacy Together. This study involved providing a training to high school students to improve their communication skills, then paired the students off with an elder from the community (age 65 or older) to allow the students to put their skills to the test. The study aims to “bridge the gap” between generations and allow youth to connect in a way that is meaningful and allows them the chance to learn how to live a more successful life.
Mitch is also a graduate of the Jefferson Leadership Institute (JLI), a course in which local organizations and businesses allow their staff to attend for one year so that they may learn all the strengths and challenges of the community. In collaboration with his peers at JLI, Mitch worked to create a scholarship that awards $3000 annually to students that can demonstrate leadership qualities within the community. The scholarship is supported by donations from local business and manufacturers.
As demonstrated by his impressive bio, Mitch understands how to dig in and build capacity locally to enhance the resilience of military families and communities, and we are thrilled to welcome him to OneOp family!
