Focus Topics

The following topics emerged across various parts of our community — rural and urban, internal, and external — as areas where Extension can continue or advance its current support. 

In assessing our 14 current state priorities, all groups — urban and rural and internal and external — ranked Thriving Youth + Involvement and Leadership within their highest current support. This suggests that our current audiences engage with Extension most through this type of work and Extension should consider how to best advance existing relationships with those communities.

All groups also ranked Workforce Preparedness / Advancement, Financial Wellbeing, and Economic Vitality as the biggest unmet need. This suggests opportunities for Extension to introduce or expand programming.

New Strategic Priorities

• In addition to Extensions five Grand Challenges, three new strategic priorities, Emerging Technology, Partnerships and Systems, and People, were identified as cross-cutting initiatives through stakeholder engagement.

Revisions to Mission Statement

• Most survey respondents felt that the current mission statement accurately conveyed our mission, however, the feedback also suggested shortening the mission statement and explicitly addressing our commitment to diversity.

Revisions to Values

• Most survey respondents and most of the state and unit staff respondents agreed that the current values do remain relevant, however, stakeholders across Extension had suggestions on how to further improve the values to remain relevant. 
  • Missing values:
    • DEIA / inclusiveness and belonging.
    • Respect
    • Partnerships / Community
  • Format:
    • Single words, followed by descriptions of 1-3 sentences each.