SARE continuing ed program for extension, ag, community development professionals
An important goal of USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is to increase the capacity of Cooperative Extension personnel and staff from federal agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to apply sustainability principles and practices while working with their clientele. These agricultural professionals are at the front line helping farmers, ranchers and other groups develop food and farming systems that are profitable, sustain natural resources, and promote stable and prosperous farm families and communities.
SARE provides educational programs for this diverse group of agricultural professionals largely through its Professional Development Program (PDP). This program was authorized in the 1990 federal farm bill and has received annual funding since 1994. The professional development program is currently implemented through four regional coordinators based in the SARE regions and their respective networks of state-level coordinators and programs. The regional and state coordinators, along with a diverse portfolio of competitively funded PDP projects, have generated an impressive level of educational programming for agricultural professionals over the past 10 years.
Yet, one key component that has been missing from PDP has been a clear picture of what specific knowledge and skills extension personnel and other agricultural professionals should have to adequately address sustainability in agriculture. Some extension leaders have expressed a need for a basic course in sustainable agriculture to help meet the requirements of the legislation, particularly as it relates to new hires within extension and federal agencies.
In 2004, the national SARE program began a project to address those needs. Project leaders focused on developing the curriculum framework for a comprehensive continuing education program in sustainable agriculture, and a Web-based pilot course on one of the major topics within the curriculum framework. Specific outcomes of the project are that:
- Extension service providers and other key agricultural professionals are better able to advise their clientele and develop research and education programs in sustainable agriculture; and
- SARE regions have more clearly defined objectives and guidelines for building practical, in-depth professional training in sustainable agriculture, without having to spend time on basics.
Curriculum Framework. The curriculum framework was completed in August 2005 and is available on the SARE Web site at www.sare.org/pdpcurriculum/. It addresses five major topics:
- Sustainable Agriculture: Basic Principles and Concept Overview
- Agroecology
- Strategic Farm/Ranch Planning and Marketing
- Participatory Research and Education Skills
- Program Planning Skills and Professional Development
Sub-topics and learning objectives under each topic provide clear statements of what skills, knowledge and/or behaviors agricultural professionals should be able to demonstrate as a result of participating in related courses or programs. The framework was developed by a curriculum design team and intensively reviewed by four regional focus groups. Feedback from the focus groups indicated that the framework is a useful planning tool, and can serve multiple purposes for state SARE coordinators and others as they plan and implement training programs in their states or regions-a major goal of the project. Specific ways in which focus group participants suggested or anticipated using the framework include:
- in assessing staffing and identifying where organizational capacity could be strengthened,
- as a checklist for assessing strengths and weaknesses and areas where professional development may be needed,
- as a guide for developing projects,
- in helping organizations develop a common vision of sustainable agriculture, and
- as a guide for planning basic-level courses as well as practical, indepth training programs developed and delivered at the regional and state level.
Another purpose of the framework was to outline the essential content areas in which extension service providers should be proficient to help develop effective research and education programs in sustainable agriculture. Feedback from the focus groups also confirmed the framework fulfilled that objective. Positive feedback indicated the framework is comprehensive in its coverage and description of the range of topics and issues related to sustainability in agriculture.
Online Course. This component of the project is an interactive, Web-based course series for extension service providers and other agricultural professionals that covers the fundamentals of sustainable agriculture and helps meet the requirements of the PDP legislation.
The series is planned to eventually include five online courses based on the major topics outlined in the curriculum framework. Each course in the series will be self-guided and self-paced, allowing maximum flexibility for students to participate when it is most convenient for them. Courses will be graphically rich and include interactive components designed to encourage thought, reflection, action and further study; courses will also incorporate extensive links to regional SARE courses and workshops, and other sustainable agriculture resources and programs.
The first course is in the final stages of development and will be offered starting in the spring of 2006. It is being delivered though the Cooperative Extension Curriculum Project (CECP) Web campus based at Texas A&M (http://cecp-online.org/). This course management system provides the technical infrastructure needed to create a quality educational experience for the student and the means to manage and monitor course content and student participation and progress efficiently. In addition, it enables development and cataloging of course content and multimedia elements, and is designed for the maximum sharing of these learning resources across states; it is designed to be part of the larger eXtension effort nationwide (http://www.extension.org).
Both the framework and the online course have been developed through a national curriculum and course design team of individuals knowledgeable about sustainable agriculture and the SARE Professional Development Program, who have experience in professional education and the development and delivery of online courses. Team members include:
David Chaney (UC SAREP), Kim Kroll (USDA SARE), Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant (University of Illinois), Vern Grubinger (University of Vermont), Andy McGuire (Washington State University), Julie Sexton (Mississippi State University), Deborah Young (University of Arizona) and Valerie Berton (USDA SARE). For more information on this project, contact Chaney dechaney@ ucdavis.edu. Learn more about SARE at www.sare.org.
