Are you getting involved with remote work in 2023?

Let MSU Extension help out! Our partners at Montana State Extension have been passing around reminders at the start of the year that they have fantastic resources for prospective remote workers, as well as other community development tools. We highly recommend passing these along to your partner agencies to let them know what's out there!

"Montana State University Extension is an affiliate of the Certified Remote Work Professional (CRWP) course with Utah State University Extension's Remote Online Initiative (ROI). The CRWP course provides participants with the knowledge and skills to find and secure remote work opportunities.

MSU Extension Community Development embraces the program mission of preparing rural communities for the future, by offering relevant educational experiences, connecting people to modern employment opportunities, and developing innovative solutions for community needs.

To that end, MSU Extension Community Development has a small group of people, each who serves as a Program Coordinator (PC). A PC is also known as a personal coach or teaching assistant (TA). So, what does a PC do? The main job of the PC is to help Montana participants navigate the Remote Work course.

During the four-week session, students have workshops, assignments and quizzes that cover a variety of topics related to the intricacies of remote work. The PC supports the students to better understand these concepts, and guides them through the weekly modules, but still allows them to be independent, as remote work requires. PC’s also grade their assignments and provide constructive feedback on their work."

Introducing online membership (and how to use it!)

We hit a milestone with our new website last month!

If you've been around since last summer, you know that our original timeline was to debut the "Phase I" features that summer and to debut the "Phase II" features later in the year. We did not meet our original timeline, but we are happy to confirm that our online membership payment portal is fully operational.

If you haven't used the payment portal yet, you can access it anytime at the top of any webpage under Plans & Pricing! You can also read our full breakdown of membership benefits attached to each tier.

MEDA Membership Opportunities 2023

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Our initial launch last month was rocky and we have adjusted our process after fielding several questions. Please comment below if you have any followup questions! This is the first time we've taken our payment process online and we want it to run right for our members. We will edit this post to add followup questions as we receive them.

Q: How do I create a username/password?

A: Click on this link or click on the icon on the top right of the page, right above the social media icons.

Q: I got a login request when I clicked on Plans & Pricing. What should I do?

A: Return to the Plans & Pricing page. We have removed the members-only access for that page. This is the first major change we have made. Our original procedure had been to have members create a login first and then grant access to the Plans and Pricing page second.

Q: I created a username and password and the website told me that my request had to be approved. When will it be approved?

A: It already has! We have approved all member requests logged and will continue to approve them as they come through. If you have created a username/password and you have not received a confirmation email (or you cannot login with your username/password), please email info@sweetgrassdevelopment.org.

Q: I am paying for an EDO and I only see a payment option for $1,000. Where is the option for a percentage of our operating budget?

A: It is not there because we cannot offer it through Wix. We confirmed with their support team that their Plans & Pricing does not have the "name-your-price" functionality that would be needed to allow for this option at this time. To pay using your calculated operating budget percentage, please email medaexec@gmail.com to proceed. Feel free to create your username/password and we will approve you!

Employers, what's your 2023 workforce plan?

Our friends with Reach Higher Montana would like to know. Check out their step-by-step guide to student worker opportunities and share with your network. This is a great introductory resource for people who own small businesses and want to do something concrete to create school-to-jobs pipelines directly in their community.

Reach Higher Montana does quite a bit of work in this area. Don't hesitate to contact their executive director, Kelly Cresswell, if you have any questions or comments about this workforce resource!

WBLMT Toolkit Employer (1)

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