Kentucky Cooperative Extension Kentucky Cooperative Extension County Enhancement InitiativeCounty Enhancement Initiative

“Enhancing Our Future”“Enhancing Our Future”

www.ca.uky.edu/ceswww.ca.uky.edu/ces

Vision for CES in the 21Vision for CES in the 21stst Century Century

Make a difference in the lives of people – catalysts for positive change

Mission is providing research-based education for people of Kentucky

Same basic philosophy as when CES was begun nearly 100 years ago: “Helping people help themselves; learning by doing”

Major CES Program AreasMajor CES Program Areas

Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommunity and Economic

DevelopmentFamily and Consumer Sciences4-H Youth Development

CES Program EmphasisCES Program Emphasis

Agriculture, 29%

Life Skills, 20%Diet & Nutrition,

18%

Leadership, 16%

Commun, 12%Environ., 5%

Extension Involvement by the NumbersExtension Involvement by the Numbers

Over 6.5 million contacts in 2003227,000 Kentucky youth involved in

4-H Youth Development Programs– 40% of Kentucky’s youth ages 9-18– Over 25,000 4-H adult volunteer leaders

Over 23,000 Extension Homemaker Club Members

Agricultural Development Councils established in every Kentucky county with leadership from CES

Extension Impact by the NumbersExtension Impact by the Numbers

$22 million in additional farm income. 48,000 people gained leadership skills. 33,000 people improved their health. 21,000 people reduced their debt or

increased savings. 67,000 youth learned new life skills. 22,000 adopted practices to improve

Kentucky's water. 478,000 continuing education units

taught

““Our campus is the Commonwealth”Our campus is the Commonwealth”

President Lee Todd

““Cooperative Extension is the golden Cooperative Extension is the golden key to unlocking community key to unlocking community development”development”

County Enhancement InitiativeCounty Enhancement Initiative

Dean Smith designates increasing Extension Agent salaries as top budgetary priority

Average Kentucky Agent salary:• $7,849 below benchmark land grant

universities • Last among benchmark institutions• Last of Southern region states• Ranks 47th nationally

County agent salaries are well below Vocational Ag and Family Consumer Science Teachers, $6000 on average

County Enhancement InitiativeCounty Enhancement Initiative

Low salaries make it difficult to recruit and retain top Agents

In 2002 legislative session:• Appropriated $1.6 million for salary

bonuses from the Tobacco settlement funds

• Only a short term fix, since those bonuses were not permanent salary level

Request amount of annual bonuses to be made part of recurring base Extension budget each year of the two-year biennium budget

County Enhancement InitiativeCounty Enhancement Initiative

To bring Extension Agent salaries to, but still slightly below, the benchmark average will require an increase of $1.6 million annually for each year of the biennium, for a total of $3.2 million

We ask for your support of this initiativeWe ask for your support of this initiative

Kentucky County Extension Agents are of much greater value to Kentucky County Extension Agents are of much greater value to our counties and communities than what they are being paid. our counties and communities than what they are being paid.

In these economic times, the presence of Extension Agents and In these economic times, the presence of Extension Agents and the educational programs they provide are of more importance the educational programs they provide are of more importance than ever in helping improve the lives of all Kentuckiansthan ever in helping improve the lives of all Kentuckians