A partnership between Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency blends effective community outreach with rigorous research. Community outreach of the partners ranges from home buyer education to foreclosure prevention in Ohio. Research projects of the partnership target program design, pilot testing, and evaluation. The…

Statewide Extension walking programs are making an effort to increase physical activity levels in America. An investigation of all 20 of these programs revealed that 14 use websites as marketing and educational tools, which could prove useful as the popularity of Internet communities continues to grow. Website usability information and an analysis…

Extension faculty and agents/educators are increasingly collaborating with local and state agencies to provide and evaluate multiple, distinct programs, yet there is limited information about measuring outcomes and combining results across similar program types. This article explicates the methods and outcomes of a state-level evaluation of…

Describes a statewide program that integrated university research, extension, state agencies, private groups, and individual farmers/businesses into a planning process for the future of rural resources. Discusses the resulting planning conference and published report. (SK)

Responses from 59 of 67 Florida county extension directors identified professional development needs of extension specialists: (1) understanding client needs; (2) producing appropriate educational materials; (3) delivering inservice training to county extension agents; (4) evaluating state programs; and (5) increasing interaction at the local…

A survey of 45 extension agents and 59 state forestry agency staff 1 year after inservice training on developing public education programs on wildland fire received 71 responses. Three primary barriers to program implementation were identified: educational, logistical, and attitudinal. Providing a toolkit of materials and resources reduced…