2025 CDS Annual Conference

Proposal Overview
Cooperative Extension operates under a national system in every U.S. state and territory as an extended arm of land grant universities. Cooperative Extension has a history of providing community development educational programs that engage rural communities. The mission of Cooperative Extension is to transform research into practice through community development program implementation (Gagnon et al., 2015).  Henning et al. (2014) indicated that there has been a major shift in the U.S. population over the last 115 years from rural communities to urban communities.  Henning indicated that 85% of the U.S. population lives in metropolitan counties with the overall population continuing to grow more diverse. Cooperative Extension has struggled to align community development programs with this major change. Harder et al. (2009) recommended that Cooperative Extension must work to understand the growing urban population and respond with valued programming.  Franz and Cox (2012) argued that Cooperative Extension has a role to play in disruptive innovation and leading change to enhance community development relevance in urban cities.
This paper will survey the literature and identify key themes that may help Cooperative Extension enhance innovation through community development programming in urban areas.  The literature review will focus on how Cooperative Extension can engage with community members in cities to create innovation and empower diverse residents and their skill sets resulting in people centered community development solutions using Daffron and Cafarella’s (2021) program planning and implementation theoretical framework. This focus aligns with the Community Development Society’s principles of good practice such as co-learning, collaboration, community driven programs, enhancing diverse outreach, and engaging people in shared programming and outcomes.
Abstract
The Smith Lever Act of 1914 resulted in the development of Cooperative Extension, the largest nonformal education organization and largest youth development (4-H) organization in the United States. Cooperative Extension has utilized a consistent program delivery model that includes program planning, design, implementation, and evaluation that engages people in learning throughout their life spans. Cooperative Extension has a long history of providing  community development programs that engage rural communities. This paper based on a review of the literature will focus on how Cooperative Extension can engage with community members in cities to create innovation and empower diverse residents and their skill sets resulting in people centered community development solutions using a program planning and implementation theoretical framework that informs how to transform a rural community development program approach. 
References
Daffron, S.R., & Caffarella, R.S. (2021). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide. Jossey-Bass.
Franz, N. K. & Cox, R. A. (2012). Extension’s future: Time for disruptive innovation. The Journal of Extension, 50(2), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.50.02.38
Gagnon, R.J., Franz, N., Garst, B.A., & Bumpus, M.F. (2015). Factors impacting program delivery: The importance of implementation research in Extension. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 3(2), 68-82. https://doi.org/10.54718/LABZ3003
Harder, A., Lamm, A., & Strong, R. (2009). An analysis of the priority needs of Cooperative Extension at the county level. Journal of Agricultural Education, 50(3), 11-21. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2009.03011
Henning, J. Buchholz, D., Steele, D., & Ramaswamy, S. (2014). Milestones and the future for Cooperative Extension. The Journal of Extension, 52(6), Article v52-6comm1. https://archives.joe.org/joe/2014december/comm1.php