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The
Cooperative Extension System:
More Relevant Today than Ever
The Cooperative
Extension System today is very much about ensuring continued leadership
in agriculture and the stewardship of our nation's land and other
natural resources; creation of confident, public-service-oriented
citizens through the 4-H youth development program and adult leadership
training; the strengthening of families and the viability of communities.
This strategic partnership of America's great public land grant universities
and federal, state, and local governments enables the Cooperative
Extension System to deliver critically needed educational programs
at the grass roots level throughout the nation
Extension
is unique in structure and function. With its university faculty
and staff serving the states and territories-most located in the
over 3,000 counties across the country, the County Extension Office
is truly the front door to America's land-grant universities. Local
Extension professionals apply their expertise and connect community
residents to the resources of the nation's great teaching and research
universities to help solve locally-identified problems. This integration
of teaching, research, and public service enables the Cooperative
Extension System to respond to critical, emerging issues with research-based
information.
Today
the Cooperative Extension System maintains its reputation for high
quality, non-formal educational programs. Traditionally thought
of as a rural program, the 21st century Extension System touches
almost every aspect of people's lives in urban, suburban and rural
areas. The range of topics Extension addresses includes:
- 4-H
Youth Development — develops important life skills in youth that
build character and assist them in making career choices that
strengthen citizenship and leadership. At-risk youth participate
in school retention and enrichment programs. Youth learn science,
math, and social skills through hands-on projects and activities.
- Agriculture — research and educational programs assist individuals
to learn new ways to produce income through alternative enterprises,
improved marketing strategies and management skills and help farmers
and ranchers improve productivity through resource management,
controlling crop pests, soil testing, livestock production practices,
rangeland management and marketing. Urban agriculture programs
support residents and communities with urban forestry, home and
public landscape, pest and disease control, lawn waste management,
farmers' markets, and developing skilled master gardeners.
- Community and Economic Development — assists local governments
investigate and create viable options for economic and community
development such as improved job creation and retention, small
and medium sized business development, effective and coordinated
homeland defense and emergency response, solid waste disposal,
tourism development, workforce education, and land use planning.
- Family and Consumer Sciences — helps families and communities
become more resilient and healthy by teaching nutrition, obesity
prevention, food preparation skills, positive child care, family
communication, financial management, and health care strategies.
- Leadership Development — trains extension professionals and volunteers
to deliver programs in gardening, health and safety, family and
consumer issues, 4-H youth development, and prepares citizens
to serve in leadership roles in the community.
- Natural Resources — teaches landowners and homeowners how to
use natural resources more wisely and protect the environment
with educational programs in water quality and water conservation,
timber management, composting, and recycling.
At
the dawn of the 21st century, the American land-grant university
system began the engagement movement. This next phase of higher
learning involves the broader university-academic and clinical faculty,
students, extension faculty and staff, and university leaders-in
improving current and forming new mutually beneficial learning partnerships
with residents and community leaders. As a result of the feedback
derived from Extension's involvement in the greater community, academic
programs are becoming more experiential and research is focusing
on finding solutions to problems identified by the citizenry.
The
national Cooperative Extension System today is as critical to the
future success of America in the 21st century as it was in the 20th
century due to the increased diversity and complexity of the issues
people encounter today. As was the case over a century ago, problems
in most aspects of everyday living are best resolved by citizens
in local communities. Yet unlike a century ago, local problem solving
today has the potential of being impacted by a variety of national
and global conditions that require the expertise and resources of
the total university, and conversely, local decisions can much more
quickly impact state, national and global issues.
The
Cooperative Extension System is a living, evolving, market-driven
organization that responds to society's changing needs. Our nation
must continue to expand lifelong learning to all of society and
to utilize existing and new knowledge to solve complex problems.
As a unique achievement in American education, the Cooperative Extension
System continues its longstanding tradition of fulfilling that need
by extending the university to the people to improve the quality
of life for individuals, families, business and non-profit organizations,
and communities.
8/15/03
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El
Sistema Cooperativo De Extensión Más Relevante
hoy que
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