Community Development and Outreach

Cooperative Extension staff develops needs-based programming and delivers technical assistance to limited-resource clientele and public and private entities, inclusive of local governments and non-profit organizations. Our staff investigates and creates viable options for building and sustaining economically vibrant communities and neighborhoods in rural Georgia.

The programs, and the professionals who administer them, respond proactively by collaborating with local, regional, state and federal-level public and private partners, including FVSU county-based staff. Through collaborations, specialized training opportunities are designed, and implemented, to address community needs with the goal of creating confident, engaged and public-service oriented citizens. Our existing knowledge-base and resources allow us to respond quickly to local needs, drawing upon university expertise to provide information, strategies and relevant education to help people take control of their futures.

The Community Development and Outreach Program seeks to have measurable impacts on improving communities’ overall capacities. It focuses on decreasing poverty and unemployment rates by providing workforce education. In addition, it improves job creation and retention opportunities through entrepreneurship; thereby increasing civic engagement opportunities, along with strengthening communities’ commercial cores through downtown development.

Our educational programming is derived from three programmatic thrusts:

  • building economically viable communities
  • renewing civic engagement and
  • enhancing community decision-making and governance.

Since 1982, Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension Program has honored the tradition of hosting the annual Ham & Egg Legislative Breakfast where farmers and subject matter agriculture experts come together to receive advice on improving their farming operations and find answers to questions about their current farm problems. To date, the Breakfast has evolved into one of the University’s signature events where federal and state officials provide updates about current, pending and future legislation that will affect agricultural production within the state of Georgia and abroad. Invited guests include agriculture producers, farmers and legislators and leaders from within Georgia’s agricultural sector.

Every October, the University’s Cooperative Extension Program brings their Story of Agriculture: Sheep and Goat Story to the Georgia National Fair to educate fairgoers about the work done by their Small Ruminant Research and Extension Center.  The multi-faceted exhibit includes educational displays, live animals, on-site milking demonstrations, kid activities along with daily spinning, weaving, felting demonstrations.

To meet the specific needs of Georgia’s food and agriculture industries, Fort Valley State University partnered with Central Georgia Technical College and STAG Vets, Inc. to develop the Sustainable Small Farm and Agriculture Technician  program of study to enhance agricultural opportunities for military veterans.  The short-term specialized technical certificate of credit (TCC) includes hands-on-training in the production management, and marketing of small-scale food production on farmland provided by STAG Vets, Inc. and the University.