What is Extension?

The idea behind extension is to extend practical, relevant, research-based information to the community. This is one of the three core purposes of Land Grant universities across the nation, along with agriculture and natural resources-related research and academic instruction. The cooperative extension system among agricultural colleges in the United States was created by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914.

The needs and concerns of the citizens of Guam and the broader Micronesian region and trends in consumer practices are what drive UOG's extension work. Extension programs and projects at the University of Guam focus on six issues of critical importance in the region.

Critical issues 

1. 4-H and youth development
2. Sustainable agriculture
3. Food security
4. Human health, nutrition, and wellness
5. Food safety, processing, and preservation
6. Family and community resiliency
7. Community development

Our extension agents develop non-formal workshops, group and one-on-one trainings, self-education materials, and services to help community members make informed decisions and live healthy, productive, and sustainable lives. 

 

Our job is to make sure that we bring the community in – taking research, taking science and converting it into something that we all understand and that we can all apply.”

 

Anita Borja Enriquez, President of UOG