Abstract of Overall Project
The internationalizing extension project will focus on the development and implementation of capacity building and institution building in international extension for University of Florida IFAS Extension. University of Florida IFAS Extension and two important partners; county commissioners and administrators represented by the Florida Association of Counties and students and faculty of educational departments in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) will team-up to assist in Internationalizing Extension in Florida. The members of the learning team will be county extension faculty members partnered with current elected county commissioner/administrator from the same county and graduate students and faculty with interest in international extension from CALS. This project will strengthen the organizational capacities of all entities to position the University of Florida IFAS Extension for stronger internationalization efforts in the future.
This proposal is unique in that it brings representatives of local government and graduate students together with county extension faculty to explore international extension possibilities in a collaborative manner. Extension in Florida is funded by federal, state and local county governments. The boards of county commission’s, administrators, managers, coordinators and clerks are all critical partners with University of Florida IFAS Extension as they make recommendations and decisions related to the local extension financial contribution. In fiscal year (FY) 2002, local finances to fund Extension in Florida amounted to $29.2 million (excluding the value of office space and facilities). Fiscal Year 2002 represented the first time that county government provided the greatest share of operating revenue of the three (federal, state, local) financial partners. These funds provide salaries, operational funds and facilities for each of the 67 county extension offices in the state. This continued support and funding has provided a base for extension in Florida to be a leader of extension programming in the southeast states and the nation.
The University of Florida, College of Agricultural Sciences has a growing Extension graduate program through the department of Agricultural Education and Communication. Students in the program come from various states, countries and educational backgrounds, but all have similar interests in Extension work – either domestically or internationally. Students complete coursework in all aspects of educational program development, i.e. development, implementation, teaching and evaluation. Other courses include land grant and extension philosophy and comparative extension systems. Additionally, students conduct extension thesis research or develop a non-thesis project to be utilized in the extension system. This academic work is geared to prepare students to be effective extension educators and leaders as county faculty, state specialists or to work in extension on an international level. The graduate students and faculty of CALS play a major role in the future of extension regarding vision, direction, and programs.
International work and internationalization of Extension is not always seen as a priority in difficult budget periods. This professional development and institution building will strengthen the understanding of internationalization of extension by developing a team of an extension agent and a local county commissioner or administrator from each of the five administrative extension districts across the state of Florida. Students and faculty of CALS will be able to share with their counter parts will take the message back to their peers in educational departments. All team members will act as ambassadors for internationalization of extension when returning to their respective communities of Florida.
The professional development and institution building will center on training, exposure activities, team building and organizational development to create sustainability for future international extension activities. An active learning approach will be built on the strengths of a “participatory” model. The professional development will consist of training sessions held on the University of Florida, Gainesville campus and a nine-day international training experience in Costa Rica, based at EARTH University with activities in local communities and in the capital of San Jose.
All professional development and institution building activities, materials used and papers/reports given will be posted on a special web site to use as a informational tool for participants and extension to use to teach future faculty and clientele. This site will be developed and maintained with the program participant participants.
The total budget for the project is $43,300. The grant request to the National Initiative to Internationalize Extension mini-grant program is $10,000, with funding match from all partners of University of Florida IFAS Extension of $13,200, from counties of the Florida Association of Counties of $10,500 and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of $9,600. The funding match from non-grant funds is 77% of the total costs of the project.