Urban Extension: Tools to Build the Workforce of Tomorrow

A competent urban Extension workforce is critical to extending university research to address today’s complex issues (e.g., affordable housing, poverty, food insecurity, emerging technologies, etc.) in urban areas. However, older models of training the Extension workforce do not always align with current needs. Urban Extension professionals face a different set of challenges than their rural colleagues including large and diverse populations, complex ecosystems of public and private organizations, and navigating the integrated urban-rural interface. These challenges can be difficult to manage using traditional Extension competencies that are based in content area expertise, rely on residents’ existing knowledge of Extension as is typical in non-urban areas, and engage with traditional funders and partners of Extension. Learn more.