Abstract
The Cooperative Extension System (CES) plays a vital role in community education and development across the United States. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the historical and present-day significance of the CES as a catalyst for community development practice, while overlaying a community development model applicable to CES. A literature review is provided on the historical origins, organizational structure, and leadership responsibilities of agents and specialists relevant to community development research and practice. The researchers suggest a novel conceptual model, the Foundational Phases for Community Development, to assist agents and specialists across all areas of programming for engaging with community clientele, as well as to help address some of the challenges CES faces today.
Recommended Citation
Grant, G.,
&
Hains, K.
(2025). Foundational Phases for Community Development: A Model for Enhancing Cooperative Extension’s Role within the Community.
Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 13(3), 14.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1581
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Community-Based Learning Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Life Sciences Commons
