The Developmental Stages of an Extension Professional (DSEP) model depicts how professionals can move through the stages of service, education, management, and leadership to build volunteer and program capacity. It encourages Extension professionals to assess the situation and adjust their leadership style. Researchers used a mixed methods…

Purpose: To examine the evaluation competencies extension professionals need to develop and the challenges faced by early career extension professionals when they evaluate their extension education programs. Design: We conducted two studies that utilized a three round Delphi technique to come to consensus on the core program evaluation…

Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) educators are uniquely positioned to support the food recovery organizations (FROs) which address hunger-related needs resulting from food insecurity. Based on an online survey to measure how VCE educators have engaged with FROs and their experiences, respondents who previously supported FROs did so across…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect youth value of mindful living, namely, selected demographic variables, awareness of mental events, awareness of physical sensations, and nonjudgment of emotional experience. This quantitative study utilized a paper and pencil survey method to address the study objective. Study…

Leadership development programs are an exploratory journey that develop Extension faculty to better themselves in service to the organization. In an effort to mitigate potential barriers for participants, it is imperative that organizations work to create conditions conducive for success. We posit barriers for extension professionals include,…

Since 1902, 4-H Youth Development programs have been implemented by Cooperative Extension agents or educators for teaching, influencing, and leading youth to new life skills that can positively impact their futures. The 4-H motto is "learn by doing" and is practiced with a hands-on learning approach. Unfortunately, during the COVID-19…

Resiliency to weather extremes is already a part of farming in the Northern Plains, but now climate change is adding new uncertainties. Engaging farmers on this often controversial topic can be challenging given the wide range of beliefs farmers hold about climate change. Scenario planning provides a framework for Extension and agricultural system…

This study sought to identify what messages are important to share regarding innovations of new turfgrass cultivars, and to determine the current, preferred, and emerging channels of communication as perceived by Extension/Outreach and Communications professionals in ANR for sending information. This study utilized a focus group consisting of…

This article describes our study exploring Extension agents' philosophies of adult education and their perceptions of the role of Cooperative Extension for individuals and in the community. We surveyed agents in Arkansas using the Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory and open-ended questions related to the role of Extension. Most agents…

Disasters are deeply affecting communities and economies in the United States, and the role of Cooperative Extension in disaster management efforts continues to grow. We surveyed University of California Extension personnel to identify existing disaster management programs and future needs. We found that about one third of our respondents had been…

Continuous professional development is critical for Extension staff, and many agriculture-focused Extension employees are tasked with outreach related to a wide variety of natural resource topics. The purpose of this study is to help prioritize trainings needed by Kansas Extension agents and specialists based on their current level of knowledge…

Research suggests participating in youth hands-on cooking programs, like those offered by Extension and 4-H, can improve nutrition behaviors and reduce the risk for obesity. We surveyed Georgia Extension professionals (n = 127) to explore factors (e.g., employee characteristics, resources, county demographics) related to offering youth hands-on…

Purpose: This article aims at identifying the individual factors and socio-demographic variables contributing to extension agents' support for a ToT extension approach. Design/Methodology/Approach: A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted using samples of extension agents from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Nigeria. Findings: The…

Successful Extension programming relies on strong relationships between campus-based Extension faculty/specialists and the field-based Extension agents they support (Shaklee et al., 2014). Strong connections facilitate bi-directional communication, enabling specialists to understand the needs of agents and their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. ASD community-based organizations (ASD-CBOs) underutilize or inconsistently utilize evidence-based practices (ASD-EBPs) despite numerous available EBPs to treat ASD. Nonetheless, ASD-CBOs implement changes to practices regularly. Understanding ASD-CBO's…