Extension Success Stories

View OSU Extension Success Stories by Program Area

Agriculture

Family and Community Development

4-H Youth Development

Forestry

Sea Grant

OSU Extension Initiatives

OSU Extension Initiatives

Water Quality

Extension’s water quality initiative is part of a Pacific Northwest Extension Water Quality Program. In Oregon the statewide Extension Well Water Program delivers outreach education to help rural Oregonians maintain their drinking water wells and septic systems. In 2002 over 20 Well Water Program workshops were delivered to approximately 680 participants. This year 500 participants have attended Well Water workshops.

BIT (Business and Information Technology) Extension

BIT Extension educational programs deliver business and information technology skills that foster business vitality while encouraging new technology entrepreneurship. Last year the first BIT Extension positions were recruited and outreach began from OSU county Extension offices in eastern and southern Oregon, along with two part-time BIT 4-H Youth faculty located in central Oregon. In summer, 2002, the first BIT Extension Youth Camp was launched. Forty-five youth participated.

Oregon Outreach

Oregon Outreach, now in its sixth year, is a statewide Extension 4-H program designed to reach and engage Latino youth and families. As a result of Oregon Outreach: • 4-H programs have reached approximately 4,000 Latino youth and 650 Latino adults • Nearly 13,900 hours have been contributed by Latino adult and youth volunteers • Approximately $1.2 million has been raised through grants and gifts to support outreach efforts

Public Issues Education (PIE)

Extension’s PIE initiative provides information resources that help Oregonians contribute more effectively to the decision-making processes that will shape the future of the state’s communities, environment and economy. Extension has produced and disseminated three newspaper tabloids focusing on three key statewide issues: saving salmon, poverty in Oregon, and Oregon’s sustainable future. To date, over 2.3 million copies of the three tabloids have been distributed. Last year there were over 130,000 hits on the ‘poverty in Oregon’ and ‘sustainable future’ Web sites.