Extension programs are educational activities aimed at helping individuals and communities get the knowledge and skills required to improve their lives by solving a variety of everyday problems. These programs were originally focused only on agricultural issues, but their scope broadened as societies changed. Today, extension programs around the world address a variety of issues outside of agriculture. The programs serve millions of people through the work of educators, researchers, and volunteers.
In many countries, extension programs began as a way to “extend” the knowledge of universities to people who could not attend regular classes. As a result, extension programs are frequently confused with continuing education. Continuing education programs are educational services that colleges offer to people who cannot attend school full time or who live far from a campus.
In the United States, the term extension service refers to a nationwide program sponsored jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by state and county governments. The program is implemented through the land grant universities in each state. Land grant colleges or universities are institutions that receive federal aid in land or money under the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. The Morrill Acts permitted each state to use public lands to support at least one agricultural or industrial college. Extension programs provide education opportunities to youth and adults in such areas as agriculture, the environment, family and consumer issues, lawn and garden, sustainable living, disaster preparation and recovery, and 4-H youth development.
Extension programs in general do not give academic credit to their participants. The programs use many different education and communication methods to reach their objectives. These methods may include workshops, publications, mass media communications, telephone calls, and visits.
See also Adult education; Correspondence school; Distance learning; 4-H.
