University of Illinois Extension

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.
Dakota Larimore-Lamb with 4-H mentor Tom Bates
Mentoring World-Class Citizens
Tom Bates knows that the shooting sports 4-H club is about so much more than just teaching kids to safely use a gun or bow. At a state training Bates attended, someone asked how to train world-class trap shooters. Bates remembers the response almost word-for-word. “We’re not training world-class shooters. Hopefully, we are training some world-class citizens.”
Illinois 4-H member mentors younger student
Illinois 4-H member leads youth STEM education efforts
Illinois 4-H member Aja Capel of Urbana, Ill., is on a mission to help minority students – especially girls – consider careers in STEM. Her efforts are gaining a lot more traction, thanks to a recent video profile by NBC News Learning.
Shelly Nickols-Richardson, Barb Curry and Jennifer McCaffrey
Barb Curry Excellence in Programming Award
Barbara Curry received the Individual Excellence in Outstanding Programming award at University of Illinois Extension’s Illinois Nutrition Education Programs annual Fall Training.
Health Make-a-thon participants pose for group photo
Health Make-A-Thon competition open for submissions
University of Illinois Extension and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine invite Illinois residents to submit ideas for improving human health to the second annual Illinois Health Make-a-Thon competition. The 10 best ideas will each be supported by $10,000.
Vegetables grown at the Idea Garden fed nearly 400 people at The Courage Connection in 2019.
Champaign County Master Gardener Donation Gardens Advocate for Food Access
Champaign County Master Gardener donation gardens fed over 500 people in 2019.

Featured Programs

Budget-friendly tips for staying active, eating healthy

“I visit classrooms, housing communities, early childhood centers, lunchrooms, and food pantries to provide nutrition education to talk about how to keep our bodies healthy from the inside out.” -Kellie Roecker, SNAP—Education Instructor

Dig Into Our Industrial Hemp Production Resources

Industrial hemp can be used in building materials and cloth, as food for animals and people, and as CBD. Illinois Extension offers a variety of resources for farmers who are interested in hemp production and marketing.

Weekly Webinar Series for Small Farm Producers

Learn about the best ways to grow profitable, environmentally friendly crops in our Small Farms Winter Webinar Series. This year’s topics include asparagus production, raising goats and sheep, and farm stress, to name a few.

Achieve Financial Freedom with a Money Mentor

Learn more about personal financial management through Extension’s Money Mentor program. Our trained money mentor volunteers meet with people individually to help them make a budget, set goals, manage credit, and more.

Become an Advocate for Natural Spaces in Your Community

"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