The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) Helps People Improve the Quality

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) helps people improve the quality of their lives by providing research-based information and informal educational opportunities focused on issues and needs. It is a unique educational system with support from county, state and federal governments, and close ties to the state's two land grant universities – N C State University and NC A & T State University. The important elements contributing to the organization's success include its unique structure, its use of research-based information, and its use of the strong guidance received from those it serves in setting priorities. Local volunteers extend the organization's range and influence. The system has flourished because of its objectivity and the ability to adapt programs to the needs of the public.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service educational philosophy is to help individuals, families, and communities learn to identify and solve their own problems. Extension transmits to the public practical educational information on many subjects from the land grant universities and other research centers. It is informal education designed to help people help themselves.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is committed to making certain that its programs are open to all citizens of N. C. regardless of age, race, color, national origin, sex, disability or economic circumstance. This includes involvement of these citizens in developing programs that will address their concerns. NCCES programs focus on issues within the scope of the organization's expertise and resources that are important to North Carolina citizens and targeted audiences, including cooperative efforts with other agencies and organizations.

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.

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.

Traditionally thought of as a rural program, the 21st century Extension System touches almostevery 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 inmost 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.