Dean Robert Easter, Associate Chancellor James Oliver, Chancellor Richard Herman, and Dean Dennis Campion met with Cook County staff to discuss the Plan for the 21st Century
EXTENSION PROGRAMMING IN COOK COUNTY
Cook County
Cook County faces an economy that demands updated knowledge and skill sets. Extension in Cook County has grown to provide programs that will help people become better stewards of their lives and of the county's place in a global economy. Our staff provides innovative programming to more than 500,000 people each year, and is ideally equipped to offer the people of Cook County what they need to succeed in this challenging environment.
Our Mission
To provide research-based unbiased education and communication to individuals and communities that inspires positive, lasting change. Extension in Cook County hopes to motivate individuals and communities toward education, civic involvement, and healthy living, thereby increasing the county's viability in the twenty-first century.
TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY, EXTENSION OFFERS PROGRAMS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
People with these skills are essential to the county's future success. Meanwhile, local school districts are struggling to provide students with access to technology, and adults who were forced from ailing job sectors lack transferable skills.
Extension provides people with access to these tools, as well as the training to use them, which leads to the skills to improve upon them. We are working every day to prepare the people of Cook County for twenty-first century lifestyles and jobs in these growing fields.
Programs include: Space Camp; Continuing Math Education for Teachers; a Touring Science & Technology Mobile; and Film Making
Urban Environment and Natural Resources
Our region is expecting growth of an additional two million people over the next 20 years. With so many people, their cars and their pets descending upon Cook County, Extension has information to help lessen personal impact on the environment.
Rooftop and container gardens, rain catchers and waste composting are all topics covered by Extension programs in Cook County. Master Gardeners, Master Composters, and Master Food Preservers are trained and then bring choices to people that can benefit the county.
Programs include: Water-wise Gardening; Economically Targeted Master Gardeners; Sensory Gardens for People with Disabilities; and timely topics such as the dangers of the Emerald Ash Borer
Urban Community Health
As advanced medicine promotes longer lives and virus strains become more severe, we must become better stewards of our bodies and communities. Along with well-recognized programs on diabetes, heart disease and nutrition, Extension is now focusing on health management for older adults and helping non-English speaking people navigate the health care system.
Through bilingual programs, community fairs, one-on-one screenings, and written materials, Extension brings the latest in health care information to Cook County.
Programs include: Peer-Led Sexual Health; Diabetes and Nutrition; Smoking Cessation; Salud de la Familia; and Breast Cancer Awareness
Civic Engagement and Economic Development
Extension starts this work in elementary schools. By encouraging language study, community involvement, and an entrepreneurial spirit, Extension endorses proactive engagement in the changing world.
Extension can bring neighborhood assessment, international trade partnership, non-profit assistance, and business development programs to your area.
Programs include: Asian Cultures and Language; Non-Profit Asset Building; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship in under-represented communities
Community Education for Adults and Youth
Personal and career development and higher education often seem out of reach to people from under-resourced communities, or those new to the United States. Extension offers youth and adult workshops, online information, summer camps, and one-on-one support in leadership and conflict resolution, access to career training and employment law, and consumer education.
For new immigrants, Extension offers programs on becoming a U.S. citizen, the U.S. job market, and navigating the health and education systems.
Programs include: Early College Outreach and Financial Aid; One Heart, Two Cultures: Immigrant Parents and their Children; Workforce Development; and Conflict Resolution for Youth
Cook County Unit