University of Illinois Extension

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Response Resources for COVID-19

The spread and mitigation of coronavirus (COVID-19) is an evolving concern for Illinois. This library of resources can help families, businesses, community leaders, and ag producers cope.

Fill Your Pantry Webinar Series

Learn safe and easy ways to preserve foods at home in an 8-week online series covering latest techniques for canning, freezing, dehydrating, and fermenting.

Respond to the 2020 Census.

Getting an accurate count of Illinois residents directs funding for community programs and shapes important services and resources for the next decade.

Let's Talk Money Webinar Series

Join our 8-week series designed to help open discussions about budgeting, debt management, saving, and setting goals for financial health.

Commercial Ag Webinar: Corn Genetics

11 million acres of corn are planted in Illinois annually, but how much do you know about its origins? Learn about corn genetics including “what makes sweet corn sweet?"

En Español

La Extensión de la Universidad de Illinois es el principal alcance emblemático de la Universidad de Illinois en Urbana-Champaign, que ofrece programas educativos a los residentes de los 102 condados de Illinois, y mucho más.

Budget-friendly tips for staying healthy

Make healthier choices for your family on any budget. Find your healthy lifestyle with Eat. Move. Save.

Webinars and Digital Training

Information you trust is just a click away. Illinois Extension’s high-quality programs are available for free online as live webinars. Miss a program? Check out the recordings.

Algae Growth on Ponds

Control algae problems before they take over. Educator Katie Parker discusses what pond owners should know about these aquatic plants.

Advocate for Natural Spaces

I took the Master Naturalist training because I wanted to learn more about our local natural areas, and how we can help. -Kathy Herron, Illinois Master Naturalist

Become a Master Gardener

Take your love of gardening to the next level. Master Gardeners are trained horticultural experts who serve their communities through service projects and educational programs.
Man measures base of large tupelo tree in wetland
Illinois’ big trees are on the map
From the depths of the Shawnee National Forest to backyards in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois’ biggest trees are branching out. For the first time, the state’s champion trees are now available as an interactive digital map.
Two farmers shake hands in a field
Rural Resilience virtual course gives farmers tools to manage stress
Farm life is stressful. Rural communities face unique mental health risks, but it can be hard to talk about it. A new online course, Rural Resilience: Farm Stress Training, is now available at go.illinois.edu/ruralresilience.
Young woman uses sewing machine to make mask
Illinois 4-H members step up to serve communities
From 3D printing medical face shields to packing food boxes for students, Illinois 4-H members are honoring their pledges to larger service by stepping up to safely meet the unique needs of their communities.
photo of meat cuts
What COVID-19 means for your dinner table
Headlines about dairy farms dumping milk and livestock being euthanized are a sharp contrast to empty meat cases. The novel coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the nation’s food supply chain, resulting in increased prices for panicked shoppers and major losses for Illinois farmers.
Working under her father Dominic’s watchful eye, Evie Ribbing cross cuts a sheet of veneer core bamboo using a saw.
4-H woodworker shines with Sawdust & Sparkles business
“Measure twice, cut once,” is a rule Clinton County 4-H member Evie Ribbing knows by heart along with the 4-H pledge. What started as a woodworking project, has grown into a business new venture – Sawdust and Sparkles by E - for this entrepreneurial 12-year-old.
Disaster preparedness kit
Preparing youth is one strategy for community disaster preparedness
Every community should have plans that guide how they communicate with residents and businesses, how they encourage adoption of preventative protection measures, and how they provide access to post-event recovery resources.