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Who We Are

First and foremost, we are teachers. We are OSU Extension faculty and staff working in Ohio's urban and metropolitan areas as skilled professionals, employed by The Ohio State University to respond to the educational needs of the people in our counties. We use research-based educational programs and information to help people strengthen their lives and their communities. We work within our local communities to offer programming - often partnering with other agencies, organizations and businesses - that focuses on the most significant issues in the localities we serve. We empower people with education on issues they care about.

Extension educators who conduct urban programming in Ohio meet periodically, share ideas with each other, and build upon each others' successes. The best way to find out more about Extension's urban programming in your area is to contact your local county office of Ohio State University Extension.

Ohio State University Extension - List of Counties

If you have a more general question, contact Extension's Urban Program Specialist, Joe Konen.

konen.2@osu.edu

Our Mission - Education to Strengthen Neighborhoods

Our mission is to help people improve their lives through an educational process using scientific knowledge, focused on identified issues and needs.

Our Values

We Value Responsiveness -- tailoring educational offerings to identified community needs.

We Value Diversity -- teaching diverse audiences with diverse staff and varied methods.

We Value Collaboration -- working with groups and organizations within our neighborhoods to avoid duplication of services and maximize impact.

Our Strategic Goals

We empower individuals and families with life skills by providing:

• Nutrition, meal management and food safety education
• Training in money and time management
• Education to enhance individual, family, and parenting relationships across the lifespan

We educate for the greening of neighborhoods by providing:

• Home and public landscape education
• Information for urban gardens, neighborhood beautification and green-space planning
• Education for the green industry, enhancing skills for landscapers, lawn-care services and garden centers

We help youth become positive, productive citizens and catalysts for effective change in society by providing:

• Training and resources for adults who work with youth
• Resources and positive environments for youth in after-school, summer and youth-diversion programs

We are partners in building community capacity, working with local entities to foster leadership, decision-making and a sense of community by providing:

• Leadership training to develop strong community and neighborhood leaders
• Training and information to develop a community's physical and human infrastructure

See the "What We Offer" page on this web site to link to specific OSU Extension programs you may be interested in learning more about, or follow the "County Connections" link to find OSU Extension programs in your county.

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Created: 2008-04-15, Updated: 2008-04-15