Values

As Community Development Professionals, we value:

• Education as a means to help people identify assests, capacities, needs, resources, and solutions
• Civic involvement (or participation) to improve the quality of community/neighborhood life
• Internal and external collaborations and partnerships
• The uniqueness of individuals and communities/neighborhoods
• The applied and theoretical dimensions of community development
• The development of viable communities through the wise use of natural, economic, social, and human resources
• Information and knowledge as a basis for decisions
  

Mission

Vision

Ohio State University Extension is a leader in community development education and a partner in the implementation of strategies to achieve community goals.

The Community Development educational areas are:

• Community Based Planning
• Community Leadership
• Public Issues Education  
• Economic Development
• Sustainable Communities
• Community Wellness and Environment

Extension Community Development particulary addresses the following clientele:

• Elected and appointed officials
• Ohio's business community
• Current and emerging community leaders

Four identified roles for Extension Community Development perform when assisting communities are to:

• Provide perspectives to residents and leaders regarding local development issues.
• Increase the knowledge base for individual and community decisions.
• Develop clientele skills necessary to help achieve their individual and community goals.
• Help to create an inclusive decision-making environment

Goals

To effectively fulfill our mission of helping communities enhance their well-being, Extension Community Development has set goals within three strategic directions. Within each of the strategic directions, action strategies will move us to successful implementation of our plan.

Strategic Direction One

Action Strategies

1. Empasize the importance of developing sustainable communities which value the integration of the economic, social, and ecological components of healthy communities.
   
2. Deliver planning programs which help communities identify their special assets and capacities available to build their unique community well-being.
   
3. Assist our identified clientele to build a strong, community-wide economic base by supporting the establishment of Community Economic Development and Community Development Agent positions where there is a need and the creation and sharing of research-based economic and community development programming.
   
4. Assist public officials and community residents to apply public deliberation techniques to make informed decisions regarding difficult community issues.
   
5. Develop and enhance leadership skills to foster inclusionary decision making processes in organizations and communities.
   
6. Continue to raise the awareness and understanding of the value of Ohio's environment to community well-being through environmental education programming.
   
7. Deliver educational programs which stregthen the understanding and knowledge base of Ohio's citizens and public officials regarding their role in participative government, focusing on important topics such as the current emphasis on land use programming.
   
8. Support and encourage county needs assessment efforts to determine critical issues to address.
   
9. Encourage the establishment and continuation of Extension Community Development Program Committees that perform a meaningful role in program development at the county and district level.

Strategic Direction Two

Defining and Promoting Community Development

As educators within Ohio's land grant university, we help people by assisting them to identify needs and resources to improve their communities. We recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of each community and encourage communities to develop capacity and create vitality to enhance citizen's lives.

Action Strategies

1. Develop and stregthen Extension Community Development capacity by building relationships with other colleges within the University, other educational institutions, state and federal agencies, community agencies, and community development organizations. 
   
2. Continuously update, promote, and enhance web sites and other systems which monitor state and federal legislation related to community development for use by Extension professionals.
   
3. Evaluate and promote statewide Gazebo publication to communicate the activities and successes of Extension Community Development programming.
   
4. Develop and execute a comprehensive marketing plan, involving state, district, and county Extension professionals, that identifies and communicates our unique programs that assist communities.
   
5. Enhance the presence and recognition of Extension Community Development by encouraging and supporting agents and specialist in assuming leadership roles in community development organizations at local, state, and national levels.
   
6. Assertively communicate to Extension, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and University administration the educational and programming contribution of the Community Development program area to the financial success and recognition of the land grant univeristy mission.
   

Strategic Direction Three

Professional Development 

To effectively assist communities to maximize their potientials, Extension professionals must be equipped with appropriate skills and supported by research-based information that helps Ohio communities move foward.

Action Strategies

1. Provide theoretical and practical inservice training programs to meet the varying needs of all Extension Community Development professionals.
   
2. Establish financial and mentoring support for Community Development faculty to conduct and analysis leading to authorship of publications.
   
3. Provide one-day orientation for Extension agents with new Community Development appointments to educate them on Community Development program areas and available resources.
   
4. Provide financial support and resources for Extension personnel to participate in appropriate professional development opportunities both within and outside of Extension.