Information about the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program 2022

Mohammad Valipour, PhD, Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University

Extension educators involve Extension faculties, Extension specialists, Extension agents, Extension assistants, and Extension associates. They play a vital role in enhancing people's and communities' knowledge and supporting them with technical resources and information to improve the quality of their lives. They also strengthen people's livelihood by fostering beneficial communication, promoting economic growth, and working to reduce poverty (Global Forum on Rural Advisory Services, 2019). Extension agents/assistant are among the pioneers in preparing communities for different shocks such as human-, plant-, or animal-based diseases. Extension educators are able to help recovering communities and food systems after crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Extension educators are facing various challenges with their services, and they need long-term commitment from Extension providers to support individuals and communities. Here I discuss how Extension educators can support families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Extension is valuable not only in terms of financial investment shared by governments, but also organizational cooperation within state Extension and education systems (Grove et al., 2020).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Extension educators use their long-standing partnerships in communities to evaluate immediate needs and disseminate necessary information to other responsible organizations. Extension educators can educate communities in terms of the pandemic and advise on immediate precautions. Extension agents/assistants can quickly assess damage or incidence and communicate that to relevant and responsible agencies. They can also recognize supply chain disruptions in collaboration with others. They undertake these activities while being sensitive to socio-economic problems, like

All groups of Extension educators can act as a link between technical sources of information and stakeholders to prepare communities for negative events. The bridging role has enabled Extension educators to offer value in communities through preparing clientele with the technical sources, information, and strategies to empower their economic livelihood. Extension specialists/associates connect the many actors/stakeholders operating in communities. In the U.S., the Cooperative Extension Program is a cooperation among the USDA, the Land Grant University System, and governments (Grove et al., 2020). This relationship links resources and technical information in higher education to communities (USDA, 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cooperative Extension is valuable not only in terms of financial investment shared by governments, but also organizational cooperation within state Extension and education systems (Grove et al., 2020).

the disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities such as women and children, especially in minority and underserved populations. Considering Extension educators’ access to field-level and real-time data, as well