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Virginia’s Strategic Plan for Virginia Cooperative Extension

2011-2016 Focus Areas and Goals

Focus Area I: Enhancing the Value of Virginia’s Agriculture

  • Increase the profitability and sustainability of Virginia’s commercial food, fiber, animal recreation, and green industries.
  • Prepare the agriculture industry for future opportunities and challenges in urban and rural environments.
  • Research and disseminate methods and recommendations to ensure that consumers have access to safe, high-quality agricultural products.
  • Develop and deliver programs to enhance agricultural literacy.
  • Interpret policy and legislation, identify opportunities, and provide training to comply with regulations that ensure farm profitability and environmental quality.

Focus Area II: Sustaining Virginia's Natural Resources and the Environment

  • Support the management, use, and sustainability of Virginia’s natural resource capital for the benefit of future generations.
  • Provide natural resource and environmental education.
  • Provide educational resources to address urban/rural interface issues.
  • Provide education to conserve and protect Virginia’s surface and groundwater resources, including the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Develop and deliver programs in green energy/bioenergy.

Focus Area III: Creating a Positive Future Through 4-H Youth Development

  • Improve competencies of Virginia youth in the following life skills: knowledge, reasoning, creativity, personal, social, vocational, citizenship, health, and physical.
  • Develop supporting environments for 4-H youth development.
  • Design volunteer development systems that attract, retain, train, and energize youth and adult volunteers who are progressive and have an enduring commitment to youth.

Focus Area IV: Strengthening Virginia Families and Communities

  • Improve the health of Virginians through access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food.
  • Develop and deliver educational programs to increase the understanding and development of the social, cognitive, and physical capacities of Virginians.
  • Increase economic stability and decrease reliance on public services by improving youth and family financial literacy and security.

Focus Area V: Cultivating Community Resiliency and Capacity

  • Assist communities in developing and strengthening local economies through entrepreneurship and small business development.
  • Develop and deliver educational programming to improve capacity among community members to engage in community planning, decision-making, and community leadership.

Focus Area VI: Organizational Effectiveness

  • Implement the programming, local structure, and organizational structure from the 2010 Restructuring Plan.
  • Invest in the recruitment and development of a diverse group of VCE educators, specialists, and staff to ensure exceptional programming, services, and leadership that addresses Virginia’s needs.
  • Develop an effective internal and external communication system to inform and engage citizens, stakeholders, and partners.
  • Identify and secure public and private resources that support quality programming in the focus areas.