Educate Our Constituencies About the Funding Mechanisms of Extension

Overview

North Carolina Cooperative Extension (Agricultural Programs, 4-H and Family & Consumer Services (FCS) and Extension & Community Association (ECA)) touch the lives of people every day in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. They see the impact their programs make on individuals and on their communities. They give their time and effort — and often their financial support — to help these programs succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Through NC Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty and staff extend their knowledge to farmers, families and citizens across North Carolina with research-based and practical programs, from educational workshops that address public health and nutrition issues to partnerships with local governments.
• 4-H, the largest youth development organization in North Carolina, conducts programs across the state that encourage young people to learn by doing.
• FCS and ECA work to improve the well-being of the family through educational programs, influencing public policy, and helping families put research-based knowledge to work in their lives. Focus areas include healthy eating, physical activity and chronic disease prevention, local food systems, food preservation and food safety.

Opportunities

• The three 4-H camps and centers were heavily impacted by the pandemic due to being closed in 2020. Funds for maintenance and operations are a priority.
• Enhancement support for Extension helps our specialists and agents function at a high level.  These can be endowed or current use funds and utilized at the state or the local county level.
• FCS and ECA’s priority are for funds for Innovative Grants that bring counties (agents) and campus (specialists) together in collaborative projects addressing foods, nutrition, family and community development and resource management.