Extension Professionals and Community Coalitions: Professional Development Opportunities Related to Leadership and Policy, System, and Environment Change

Abstract

Community coalitions play an important role in communitywide strategies to promote health and wellbeing, and Extension professionals may provide leadership, technical assistance, and other support to coalitions. Extension professionals across a Midwestern state were invited to participate in an online survey about their coalition involvement and related training needs. The results of the study reported here describe the nature of Extension professionals' work within community coalitions; identify gaps in knowledge particularly related to policy, system, and environment change (PSEC) strategies; and point to professional development opportunities that will improve Extension's ability to work effectively within community coalitions.

Evaluating Rural Health Disparities in Colombia: Identifying Barriers and Strategies to Advancing Refugee Health

“…The emphasis on addressing health inequities through extension organizations is growing [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] and highlighted in efforts such as that presented by Girmay et al, [37] in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In this example, the extension organization in Ethiopia prioritized public health in 2003 and facilitated the development and implementation of a comprehensive health transformation plan aimed at revolutionizing health service delivery.…”