The CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Education System extends Cornell University’s land-grant programs to citizens all across New York State. With a presence in every county and New York City, CCE puts research into practice by providing high value educational programs and university-backed resources that help solve real-life problems, transforming and improving New York families, farms, businesses and communities.
CCE’s practical education programs attracted some 1.8 million participants in 2011 with millions more reached through the media and public displays.
More than 100 educational activities per county per month led by our professional staff were supported by 52,440 volunteers across the state.
An integrated network of professionals that includes campus-based faculty and staff, regionally deployed specialists and county-based educators and professional employees provided literally thousands of different programs throughout the state that reached business owners, community leaders, entrepreneurs, homeowners, and families, including 167,000 youth involved in our 4‐H and youth development programs. CCE programs:
- Support a NY agriculture industry that is diverse, sustainable, and profitable, and that produces a safe, reliable, healthy and local food supply.
- Aim to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and chronic disease through improved nutrition and health practices; improve child and eldercare; reduce environmental hazards; increase financial and health care literacy.
- Educate New Yorkers on a broad range of natural resources concerns: water resources; agricultural waste; land-use management; forestry; wildlife habitat; lawns and turf; invasive species; energy conservation; development of renewable energy sources.
- Engage New Yorkers in land-use training, inter-municipal collaboration on shared municipal services, leadership training, workforce development, and community decision-making on complex issues.
- Reach urban, suburban and rural youth in three broad areas: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles through multiple delivery modes: Community and School-based Clubs including Military Family Support, Public School Enrichment Programs, Day and Overnight Camping.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is now engaging in an extensive strategic planning process to assure informed choices about our programs and operations in coming years. We have just completed work with Cornell’s Survey Research Institute to conduct a broad-based survey, gathering input and observations from multiple perspectives about our programs, our effectiveness, opportunities for improvement, and suggested new areas of growth. We will follow with both focus groups and broad discussion across our system. We will report back as soon as the data is compiled.
I deeply appreciate the participation of so very many people as we work together to shape stronger programs and an even better future for Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Helene R. Dillard
Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Associate Dean, Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Human Ecology
Professor, Plant Pathology