What we do

Extension faculty, staff, and trained volunteers work alongside local partners to provide educational workshops, activities, and services tailored to the unique industries, natural resources, and people in our communities.

Oregon State University's land grant mission drives us to conduct research and share research-based education to improve economic vitality and promote personal and environmental health.

Highlights

Photo: Oregon State University (Cropped from original)

Open Campus

Open Campus provides local access to education through community-based partnerships and unique programming, meeting needs of the Oregon communities we serve.

Portland Metro Area

National 4-H Council (OSU author has permission from photographer/creator/rights holder) (Cropped from original)

4-H Youth Activities

4-H empowers young people with hands-on learning experiences to help them grow and thrive. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, young people develop the skills needed to make a positive impact on the world around them.

Portland Metro Area

Photo by Lynn Ketchum (Cropped from original)

Nutrition Education and Outreach

We provide Nutrition Education to limited-resource individuals, children, and adults through our team of Educators in Washington County, and our Metro Hispanic Nutrition Office in SE Portland. Workshops and support are available in English, Spanish, Russian, and more.

Portland Metro Area

Credit Patty Case (Cropped from original)

Farm to School and school gardens in the Portland area

We connect the cafeteria, classroom and community so kids, farmers, and communities thrive. OSU’s research-backed farm to school activities improve economic opportunities, public health, academic achievement, youth development and ecoliteracy in every county in Oregon.

Portland Metro Area

Programs offered

For more information about the programs below, please open the link to find the program's contact information.

• Better Bones and Balance®: Better Bones and Balance® is an exercise program designed to gradually improve balance and strength to avoid falls and maintain independence.
• Home Food Safety and Preservation Program: Food safety and preservation resources and classes, provided through the Oregon State University Extension Family and Community Health, ensures Oregonians have access to the most reliable information available. It is critical that ...
• Metro Area Master Gardener: A program that educates Oregonians about the art and science of growing and caring for plants. This program also facilitates the training of a highly educated group of volunteers. These volunteers extend sustainable gardening information to their communities through education and outreach programs.
• Metro Area Small Farms: The Small Farms Program serves commercial small farm entrepreneurs as well as non-commercial small acreage landowners. Our focus embraces ecological farming systems.
• Nutrition Education and Outreach Programs: The OSU Extension Service Nutrition Education and Outreach Programs are a part of the Family and Community Health Program and the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ...
• Open Campus: OSU Open Campus, a community-based education partnership convened by Oregon State University, provides local access to learning in order to address the unique educational needs of Oregon’s communities. Through a statewide network of...
• Oregon Forest Pest Detector: Oregon Forest Pest Detectors (OFPDs) are volunteers that help prevent the damaging impacts of invasive forest pests by monitoring for and reporting potential infestations. They usually already have some baseline knowledge of ...
• OSU Small Farms: The goal of the Small Farms program is to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of small farms by employing appropriate scale production and marketing techniques. The program works toward improving small farm ...
• Outdoor School: This is an exciting time for Oregon and for Oregon’s 5th and 6th grade students as OSU Extension works in collaboration with schools, partners, and communities to support and grow the statewide Outdoor School program, building on a legacy that began in 1966.
• Portland Area 4-H: 4-H empowers young people with hands-on learning experiences to help them grow and thrive. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, young people develop the skills needed to make a positive impact on the world around them.