This document discusses Cooperative Extension and its potential role in supporting military communities. It provides background on Cooperative Extension, noting that it is a partnership between the USDA, land-grant universities, and state and local governments. It outlines that there are 106 land-grant universities across the country, many of which are near military installations. The document also describes how Cooperative Extension has a presence in over 3,000 counties nationwide. It discusses how Cooperative Extension could serve as a "force multiplier" for the military in areas like family readiness. Examples are given of past collaborations between Cooperative Extension and the military. Introductory and advanced training materials on community capacity building are also referenced.

1. Cooperative Extension as a
Resource for the Building Healthy
Military Communities Pilot
Keith G. Tidball, PhD
01 NOV 2016
1

2. What is Cooperative Extension?
The word “cooperative” signals extension’s organizational
structure as a formal partnership between USDA, land-grant
colleges and universities, and state and county
governments.
US Congressman Francis Lever
(South Carolina)
US Senator Hoke Smith
(Georgia)
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914

3. 3
The National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA) is an agency within
the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), part of the executive branch
of the Federal Government. Congress
created NIFA through the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008. NIFA replaced the former
Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES), which had been in
existence since 1994.

4. Access via Land Grant Universities
• A land-grant college or university is an institution that has
been designated by its state legislature or Congress to
receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
• The original mission of these institutions was to teach
agriculture, military tactics, and the mechanic arts as well
as classical studies so that members of the working
classes could obtain a liberal, practical education.
• There are 106 of them, and they have always been
related to the military in some way. It is interesting to
visualize them geographically, especially when also
visualizing military installations. 4

5. Cooperative Extension
5
106 Land Grant UniversitiesMilitary Installations

6. Cooperative Extension
6
3,143 counties

7. Cooperative Extension
New York State Military
Installations
New York State Cooperative
Extension Locations
7

8. Cooperative Extension
8

9. Cooperative Extension as
Force Multiplier
9
The potential of the Cooperative Extension
Service and the land grant institutions to be
a readily available force-multiplier for the
Family Readiness mission area was
recognized by leaders at the Department of
Defense and the Department of Agriculture,
and an MOU was signed between the two
agencies to facilitate investment in
developing, refining, and deploying the
Cooperative Extension Service in the area
of Family Readiness.
How can Cooperative Extension serve as a
force multiplier in the Total Force Fitness
environment?

10. Examples of Cooperative Extension
& Military Collaboration
https://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/category/community-capacity-building/

11. Thank You!
11

12. Intro to CCB Training
12

13. Community Capacity Building
Training - Fundamentals
13
• Overview
• Community Action & Change
• Becoming a CCB
Organization
• Results Focused Planning

14. Community Capacity Building
Training - Advanced
14
• Community Assessment
• Strengthening Formal Systems
through Collaboration
• Mobilizing Informal Networks
• Engaging Military Leaders
• Monitoring Results & Activities
• Sustaining Desired Results

15. Intro to CCB Training
15
http://1.usa.gov/1U6MrZX
Available to any
individual or
organization
Easy to use, self-
directed
Available 24-7

16. Intro to CCB Training
CEUs not yet available…
16
http://1.usa.gov/1U6MrZX