Public Value Statements

Public Value Statements developed by educators serving Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties are outlined below. These statements do not represent all programming but demonstrate how Extension's work benefits local communities.

"In Cooperative Extension we can readily provide evidence of our programs’ private value to program participants, but we also create public value when our programs benefit others in the community.  While direct beneficiaries of Extension programs have always been a source of crucial political support for Extension, demonstrating our public value can be the key to shoring up support from the rest of the population.  Fiscal pressures on state and county governments make the need to demonstrate our public value increasingly urgent.  More than that, by understanding and substantiating the public benefits our programs provide, we can be confident that Extension, as a publicly funded organization, is doing what it is truly meant to do."

Laura Kalambokidis, PhD
Minnesota State Economist
Professor of Applied Economics