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Silos Aren’t Just on Farms - Unifying Outreach Efforts to Benefit America’s Families

The Family Caregiving, Families Food and Fitness, Just In Time Parenting, and other Human Science-oriented Communities of Practice have initiated an organizational transformation to deliver research-based information to America’s families. No longer working as distinct communities, these once-separate entities have formed a “Learning Network” that functions as a single administrative unit. The new structure offers a fresh paradigm for internal CoP operations, leverages shrinking resources, maximizes human capital, and advances opportunities for delivery of content and interactions with end-users. As eXtension’s optimization process was a catalyst for the formation of the Learning Network, foundational principles are representative of those set forth in the optimization plan. Crucial to the decision to undertake this strategic shift was a shared belief that a streamlined organizational composition would result in a regeneration of interest and commitment to the delivery of family-related resources and information across the nation. This session will include: 1) an outline of the rationale for undertaking this radical transformation, 2) the evolutionary process as it unfolded, 3) lessons learned to date, and 4) an engaged discussion regarding the possible applicability for other CoPs with complementary subject matter content.

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About the Extension Foundation

The Extension Foundation was formed in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators. Today, the Foundation partners with Cooperative Extension through liaison roles and a formal plan of work with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) to increase system capacity while providing programmatic services, and helping Extension programs scale and investigate new methods and models for implementing programs. The Foundation provides professional development to Cooperative Extension professionals and offers exclusive services to its members. In 2020 and 2021, the Extension Foundation has awarded 85% of its direct funding back to the Cooperative Extension System, 100% of funds are used to support Cooperative Extension initiatives. 

This technology is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation. For more information, please visit extension.org. You can view the terms of useat extension.org/terms.

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