Extension is Broken

9/24/2013

Last week I was in Pittsburgh at Galaxy IV - a national conference for all the industry professionals in the Cooperative Extension System. It was me (a disruptive millennial) and all my (baby boomer) colleagues who have been in their jobs longer than I have been alive. Needless to say, I don't exactly 'fit in.' I get the feeling I make some of them very nervous and they often ask me, "Why are you even in Extension?"

Ah, nice to work with you too...my general response is something like, "Are you kidding? I was born for this!" I love using science to improve people's lives. I'll be honest, I didn't even know Extension existed before I started working for Utah State University a few years ago. But the reason I accepted my current role is because I recognized the system is broken and saw an opportunity to change it.

What does it mean to be broken? Well, if I think it's broken...it's broken.

How did Cooperative Extension get broken? The world changed.

It's been 100 years since the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 and at our national gathering we're talking about how to stay relevant...hey folks, we're not relevant. When was the last time a 25 year old came into your office to ask you a question about gardening, canning, leadership, or growing alfalfa? That's right, they googled it and got the answer from a site unrelated to Extension. Was it the right answer? Was it research-based? Will it improve their life? Do you care?

If you do, keep reading.

How are we going to change? How are we going to reach a new generation of clients in such a dynamic world? How are we going to share our research with people who need it, but don't even know we exist?

I see enormous potential to make the system work again. But we have to become the most tech-savvy people with the ability to harness the power of the Internet, social networks, smart mobile devices (this includes things coming down the pipeline i.e. Google Glass, iWatch), the cloud, augmented reality, leap motion, speech recognition and so much more. Some of my colleagues agree, but many do not and are fine with the status quo. Over the next 100 years we have the opportunity to deepen relationships and make even greater impacts. I know we can scale it faster if we share information and work together.

We must reject complacency, imagine what can be, and then try it! We must generously share, question everything, tell stories, produce remarkable impacts and scientific breakthroughs while connecting people and inspiring others to do the same.

8 Comments

Jamie S. link

9/26/2013 01:17:34 am

Great post, Paul. I wish I could have run into you at Galaxy. If you felt outnumbered there, just imagine how a 20-something feels at a Family & Consumer Sciences conference. That was me six years ago when I started in Extension, and I'm still outnumbered. I've been in the system long enough to know that while we're obviously needed in some respects (anything that can't easily be Googled), and those needs have to be met in very, very different ways with a completely different audience than what our baby boomer colleagues are used to working with. We've come a long way at Ohio State in the past several years with most in the organization finally coming to terms with the fact that something needs to change, in a big way. But I'm still worried that we may have to wait for an entire generational turnover within the system to take place before change can happen at the pace that's needed... by then it may be too late. There are signs that I'm wrong. So many people are doing good things across the country, but more collaboration is needed. I still get shocked when I present at conferences and see people's jaws hit the floor when I tell them I am willing to share my social media materials and "curriculum" that I've created. They can't believe someone would have the audacity to freely share their hard work... which is ridiculous. Why wouldn't I want to share something that could move us all forward? It boggles my mind that people would think otherwise. Until we can get passed a mentality of "this is mine, not yours" and move more toward the "team" mentality of open and free sharing, I think it's going to continue to be a huge barrier to our progress. None of the Millenials in my sessions are when I mention that I will share my work, because they expect me to.

Jeff Young

10/8/2013 10:53:55 pm

Jessica

10/13/2013 08:53:04 am

Hi Jaime - nice post! I am in the generation that seems to have been forgotten (X), but I seem to identify a bit more with the Millenials when it comes to this issue. I work in Coop Extension in WI and have been caught up in many conversations about how everyone wants to break down the silos and change, but it doesn't seem to happen much beyond working on cross-program teams. I think there is definitely room for more, while respecting Coop Extension history and the experience of more seasoned colleagues. I also think it will require a complete overhaul of the way we think about our roles and program areas, as well as the way we approach education. But, as a PT interim employee, I can only attempt to change so much :)

Anne Adrian link

10/13/2013 08:59:43 am

Until 1991, all Cooperative Extension materials were considered public domain. University of Minnesota was the first university to start copyrighted Extension materials. All land-grants have followed suite in one form or another. Some are using a Creative Commons license and allow faculty to make the decision to share openly with a license that allow others to change (remix) and repurpose the materials. The more open we can make our materials, the more likely that they will be shared and redeveloped into materials that have greater reach and impact.

I do appreciate the work and the push that this post and others are getting.

Progress for Cooperative Extension is not just about using social media but it is also about a mindset of openness and collaboration across diverse groups. The lack of that mindset is what has me scared.

Thank you Paul for pushing forward.

Anne

Paul McConaughy

10/14/2013 12:28:29 am

Keep fighting the good fight Paul.

I worked for Extension from 2003 to 2009. There's another story about those years and what followed between 2009 and now.

I'm actually at the leading edge of the Baby Boomers and I agree completely that Extension is broken. So many areas are totally open for disruption. Extension assumes it "owns" funding that could be pulled anytime. Universities have tremendous amounts of knowledge to share both inside and outside agriculture. Universities need information funnels from the outside in. There are research needs across states. States typically have multiple universities but only one Extension. Extension draws it's concept of speed of execution from the University rather than from the business world.

Many Universities have already acknowledged the lack of relevance of Extension by establishing large and active Outreach Units. Think about it... what should Extension be if not University Outreach?

From your information I assume you work in 4H which is actually part of the problem. Anytime any part of Extension gets in trouble they can unleash "the green wave" and ensure that hundreds and thousands of communications support their continuation. That's fine for 4H but should it be used to support other parts of an unrelated organization. Rural kids and 4H go together. It's often the only youth development opportunity there is. I love it. I think it should spin off and stand alone.

The rest of Extension should be merged with Outreach and any parts that have a purpose will find their place. The parts without significance can disappear and their funds can be used to create a truly effective corps of communicators who will provide two way channels across the states for the benefit of all.

Paul Hill link

11/5/2013 12:56:52 am

I sincerely appreciate each of you for taking the time to comment and share your insights, perspectives, and stories. Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, I'm just a busy Extension Agent and more focused on fixing Extension than further defining the problems of our system. Whether or not you agree that "Extension is Broken," I think we can all comfortably say there's room for improvement.

I was asked recently, "Do you really think Extension is broken?" my reply was, "Yes, absolutely." I know it sounds harsh, but it got a lot of people's attention phrasing it the way I did (just a marketing trick I learned in business school). I'm not sorry for being so harsh and critical. I feel Extension needs a swift kick in the pants to get people current with the times and working like a 21st Century Extension Professional (https://learn.extension.org/events/1073).

Wayne Gretzky once said, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." I challenge each Extension professional to ponder on this, consider the future, and start working differently.

Stephanie Bowden

6/12/2014 01:06:47 am

Paul- We can all agree that we need to change, but who is leading the fight? Who is our WIlliam Wallace? Who will begin? If everyone goes in a different direction it wouldn't make a difference compared to a concentrated effort to grow and change. I am 4-H based. I feel our relevance is being overlooked because the 'system' allows FFA and FCCLA in the schools and yet 4-H- an AMAZING Leadership program is left for those who are willing to use extra time to do it. Therefore, if an event that is school based conflicts with 4-H, guess which takes precendence? We need to stop being kind and standing back, we need to be bold and tout our wares!

7/14/2014 03:57:12 pm

A concentrated effort is the only way to move forward together. That is why it is so important to connect online, share and collaborate. I have also seen so many teenagers drop 4-H simply because it's considered to be "for kids" when they get to high school. Without a 4-H club presence with a caring mentor/advisor in each high school it will be nearly impossible to keep teens engaged in leadership and other 4-H project areas.

Extension is Broken

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