Training & Professional Development
Sheltering Training Opportunity
Location: Kent County
Good morning CERT and MRC volunteers,
We are pleased to share an important training and skill-building opportunity focused on emergency shelter operations. This is a critical capability for our community, and your participation can make a meaningful impact.
In the event of a large-scale disaster requiring sheltering, the American Red Cross will respond—but it may take several days for their full staffing capacity to be established. During that gap, local support is essential. That’s where you come in.
Muskegon County Emergency Management is working toward the capability to safely shelter up to 10% of our population—approximately 18,000 residents—during a disaster. Building this capacity requires a trained, ready, and committed volunteer base.
This training provides an opportunity to:
Build practical, real-world emergency response skills
Support your community when it matters most
Gain experience that can open doors to additional opportunities in emergency management and disaster response
Many professionals in this field—including myself—began by volunteering and taking advantage of training opportunities like this. Whether through the Red Cross, CERT, MRC, or other organizations, these experiences can be both personally rewarding and professionally valuable.
If you are interested in expanding your skill set and playing a vital role in disaster response, I strongly encourage you to participate.
Kent County Emergency Management in collaboration with Ottawa County Emergency Management and the City of Grand Rapids Office of Emergency Management, is pleased to announce that we are holding shelter operations and management training in partnership with the American Red Cross. The goal of this training is to prepare emergency management volunteers for opening and operating ARC sanctioned Partner Shelters to help fill the gap between disaster onset and full activation of ARC resources.
We have scheduled ONE final session of the Shelter Fundamentals class:
· Tuesday June 30th, 1700 to 2100
Please fill out the below form and select the training date that you would like to attend. ONLY ONE SESSION IS REQUIRED:
https://forms.office.com/g/64y3fVrJfg
Location Information:
(To Be Determined)
Communicating Through Conflict | Online | $40 | MSU Extension
Communicating Through Conflict: November Workshop
November 4, 2026 12:00PM - 2:00PM
Registration Deadline: November 3, 2026 - 12:00AM
Online
Contact: Andy Northrop or Will Cronin
It is especially important in today’s polarized society and stressful workplaces to develop and maintain positive relationships by gaining skills to handle conflict competently. Communicating Through Conflict workshops provide participants with tools and techniques to handle heated situations and interpersonal conflict more effectively.
Participants will:
Achieve a deeper understanding of the causes of conflict
Apply methods to slow a conversation and reduce stress responses
Gain skills to create a safe environment for continued dialogue and shared understanding
Practice active and generous listening skills to recognize interests behind strongly held positions
Learn how to give and receive feedback clearly to reduce defensiveness
Receive a handout with easy-to-follow steps for Communicating Through Conflict.
Cost: $40
In honor of Military Appreciation Month, veterans are able to attend this workshop for free. Please reach out to Andy Northrop (northro5@msu.edu) or Will Cronin (croninwi@msu.edu) if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity.
Brief Practices in Mindfulness | Online | Free | MSU Extension
Evening Webinar : Brief Practices in Mindfulness
June 11, 2026 6:30PM - 7:30PM
Registration Deadline: June 9, 2026 - 11:00PM
Online
Contact: Miloni Rathod, rathodmi@msu.edu
The goal of this workshop is to give participants a workshop with a variety of mindfulness practices to use every day. To establish an understanding of mindfulness. Experience several mindful practices – including mindful breathing, grounding, ways to quiet your mind, body scan, mindful movement, guided meditation, and seated meditation. In the last section of the workshop, we will develop a plan for your own personal practice.
Homeownership Education Webinar (MSHDA) | Online | $25 | MSU Extension
Homeownership Education Webinar (MSHDA) - June 11, 2026
June 11, 2026 4:00PM - 8:00PM
Registration Deadline: June 8, 2026 - 11:59AM
Virtual via Zoom
Contact: Ana Pena
June 11, 2026
4-8 p.m. ET
via Zoom
This homeownership seminar from MSU Extension will provide you with valuable information about the home buying process, and will teach you:
The advantages of homeownership
The steps in the home buying process
The costs of homeownership
The importance of good credit
How to determine how much house you can afford
Mortgage loan basics
Down Payment Assistance Programs
How to maintain your investment
Certificate of completion good for one year
Attending the 4-hour single or split sessions, returning completed signed paperwork, and payment received fulfills the requirements for certificate of completion. This certificate can be shared with your mortgage loan officer to satisfy the homebuyer education requirement for MSHDA loans and down payment assistance, USDA Rural Development loans and many other lenders.
Cost: $25 per household. If more than one person attends from a household, only one person needs to register and pay the fee. To request a scholarship based on financial need, contact the instructor below with your county of residence, household size and gross annual income to see if you meet the criteria.
Cancellations received less than 24 hours prior to the event start date will not be refunded.
Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested by contacting instructor at the email listed below by three weeks before the class date to make arrangements. Requests received after this date will be fulfilled when possible.
(The Registration button will not allow you to proceed if this class is closed. For additional options visit www.mimoneyhealth.org.)
Safe Food Handling for Food Donations: ADVANCED Training | Online | Free | MSU Extension
Safe Food Handling for Food Donations: ADVANCED Training - Jun 8 2026
June 8, 2026 3:00PM - 4:30PM
Registration Deadline: June 5, 2026 - 11:45PM
online zoom webinar
Contact: For more information on this training or to cancel registration, please contact Mary Donaldson at morrism4@msu.edu or 734-222-3956. In your message, please mention the training, Safe Food Handling for Food Donations: ADVANCED Training, and the date of the training.
Safe Food Handling for Food Donations: ADVANCED Training is designed for food banks, pantries, drives, and other organizations that distribute food to alleviate food insecurity.
Topics covered during the training:
Donated Food and Legal Concerns
Receiving Donated Food
Storage of Donated Food
Distribution of Donated Food
Pests
Cleaning and Sanitizing
Transportation
Emergency and Food Defense Plans
Participants will receive a certificate of participation for attending this 90-minute training. While there is no cost for this training, registration is required.
This webinar training requires an electronic device that will support the Zoom video communications app. A name and email are required to register with Zoom and to access a webinar link specific to you. This should be done immediately when you receive the registration confirmation.
Training Dates
June 8, 2026; 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Fiscally Ready Communities: From Fundamentals to Best Practices | Online | Free | MSU Extension
Fiscally Ready Communities: From Fundamentals to Best Practices
June 3, 2026 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Registration Deadline: June 3, 2026 - 01:00PM
Contact: Eric Walcott
Fiscally Ready Communities 2026 Webinar Series
The Fiscally Ready Communities program was created to assist communities that want to establish, measure, and maintain policies to increase operational and financial effectiveness and safeguards.
This partnership between MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Treasury helps local governments work towards fiscal health by sharing best practices in fiscal sustainability. These trainings help local governments work towards long-term fiscal sustainability, helping them to support thriving communities. Below you’ll find a description of each webinar and dates for the programs in the first half of 2025. The webinars can be taken individually or as a series.
Budgeting for Fiscal Sustainability - Feb. 9, 2 - 4 p.m. ETThis training will provide best practices for local governments' fiscal health, including budgeting, long-term planning, dealing with uncertainty, and financial policies and procedures.
Capital Asset Management and Planning - March 19, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. ETThis session will cover the basics of a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) - best practices, and give participants a chance to share techniques that have worked for their community. Additionally, the training will assist both elected and appointed local officials in outlining policies and procedures for capital asset management and planning. This will ensure that your local government is being proactive while discussing the interconnectivity of many local government requirements.
Managing Internal Controls - April 23, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. ETThis training will include a deep dive into internal controls. It will cover what internal controls are, why you need them, how they help your community, how to implement them, and where to start.
Nuts and Bolts: Fees, Fines, Purchasing, and Receipting - May 14, 2 - 4 p.m.Building a culture of fiscal sustainability is essential to local government fiscal health. Well-thought-out policies on fees, fines, purchasing, and receipting lead to clear rules and fair treatment, which are essential pillars of that culture of fiscal sustainability. This webinar will include a deep dive into best practices related to fees, fines, purchasing, receipting, and more. It will cover what they are, why such policies are necessary, how they contribute to local fiscal health, and how to get started on implementation.
From Fundamentals to Best Practices - June 3, 2 - 4 p.m. ETThis program focuses on implementing financial best practices, measuring fiscal health, and local government financial management fundamentals. It will include material on reconciling a bank account, how to read and interpret governmental financial statements, audit prep umbrella, how to complete and file an F65 Report, remitting taxes timely, and how to craft an appropriate and effective audit finding Corrective Action Plan. Participants will also receive resources to support best practice implementation and assess their local unit's fiscal health.
Getting Grant Ready - Aug. 20, 10 - 12 p.m. ET
This session will help local government officials navigate the full grant lifecycle. From identifying opportunities to ensuring compliance. The session will provide strategies to align grants with community goals and strengthen fiscal sustainability.
Who should attend:
Elected and appointed officials in local government, administrators, and staff.
This training is geared toward appointed and elected officials with entry and intermediate budgeting knowledge.
What resources will be provided?
Detailed guides that outline strong policies and procedures each local government should have. These guides include a checklist to track what your local government already has, what you are working on, and next steps.
Cost: Free
Homeownership Education Webinar (MSHDA) | Online | $25 | MSU Extension
Homeownership Education Webinar (MSHDA) - June 2, 2026
June 2, 2026 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Registration Deadline: May 31, 2026 - 11:59PM
Zoom
Contact: Carrie Grishaber
June 2, 2025
9am-1pm ET
via Zoom
This homeownership seminar from MSU Extension will provide you with valuable information about the home buying process, and will teach you:
The advantages of homeownership
The steps in the home buying process
The costs of homeownership
The importance of good credit
How to determine how much house you can afford
Mortgage loan basics
Down Payment Assistance Programs
How to maintain your investment
Certificate of completion good for one year
Attending the 4-hour single or split sessions, returning completed signed paperwork, and payment received fulfills the requirements for certificate of completion. This certificate can be shared with your mortgage loan officer to satisfy the homebuyer education requirement for MSHDA loans and down payment assistance, USDA Rural Development loans and many other lenders.
Cost: $25 per household. If more than one person attends from a household, only one person needs to register and pay the fee. To request a scholarship based on financial need, contact the instructor below with your county of residence, household size and gross annual income to see if you meet the criteria.
Cancellations received less than 24 hours prior to the event start date will not be refunded.
Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested by contacting instructor at the email listed below by three weeks before the class date to make arrangements. Requests received after this date will be fulfilled when possible.
(The Registration button will not allow you to proceed if this class is closed. For additional options visit www.mimoneyhealth.org.)
Building Resilience to Avoid Burnout | Online | Free | MSU Extension
https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/building-resilience-to-avoid-burnout-may-27-10-11am-et
Building Resilience to Avoid Burnout, May 27, 10-11am ET
May 27, 2026 10:00AM - 11:00AM
Registration Deadline: May 27, 2026 - 10:00AM
Online
Contact: Nicole Persing-Wethington, wethingn@msu.edu
Build your resiliency to avoid burnout by boosting your protective factors such as having caring and supportive people in your life. The goal of this workshop is to learn to recognize the symptoms of burnout. To discuss occupational burnout. Learn ways to build resilience to avoid burnout. Participate in activities to practice skills to deal with burnout.