The Cooperative Extension Service has become the largest adult education and human service program in the United States. It makes use of about 1.5 million adult volunteers who spend an average of more than 100 hours each conducting Extension programs under the guidance of extension personnel. Volunteers play a variety of roles including policy…

Volunteers play an important role in the activities of the Extension Service. The number of volunteers is increasing, as are the types of jobs they do. However, there are some typical problems in Extension volunteerism. A survey of county Extension agents identified the following problems related to management of Extension volunteers: lack of…

While volunteers are important for Cooperative Extension Services, Extension agents encounter problems in the training of volunteers, the supervision of volunteers, and the completion of reports on volunteers. The use of middle management level volunteer coordinators can alleviate these problems. Extension agents can train their best volunteers as…

Increasing demands for human services and current government fiscal policies may make volunteerism the major way of improving the individual living conditions and society as a whole. Extension agents are in the front line of persons capable of developing volunteerism at the local level. They have a direct link with local citizens and are familiar…