Our Reach & Partnerships

Together, We Can Build Thriving Communities

Engagement is the way universities and communities learn and work together to exchange, develop, and apply knowledge. Engagement enhances all missions of a land-grant university – teaching, research, service, and extension –  so that individuals and communities thrive from learning.

At the Office of Engagement and Extension, we believe everyone should be enabled to make an impact. That’s why we provide education, resources and connections to empower Coloradans to make the changes that will build a thriving community for all.

We work in partnership with individuals, communities, organizations, policymakers and many others to enable the co-creation of solutions to needs in our Colorado communities.

Engaged Institutes

Through our engaged institutes and centers, the university, communities and individuals come together around civic, community and economic development needs, research, teaching and service.

CSU Around the State

Colorado State University’s campuses and centers around the state serve local communities and facilitate community-based research opportunities with faculty. Students can also find connections to internships, apprenticeships and service opportunities.

The Provost’s Council for Engagement

The Provost’s Council for Engagement serves to advance the practice and recognition of our integration of academic scholarship and community engagement.

National and Statewide Partnerships

We work in partnership with individuals, communities, organizations, local leaders and many others to enable the co-creation of solutions to issues and needs in our Colorado communities. Here are some of our partners:

AmeriCorps

As America’s uniting front for community service, improvement and projects,  AmeriCorps delivers its promise of bringing people together to solve our nation’s problems. Here in Colorado, through the Office of Engagement and Extension we bring people power to some of our communities most complex challenges. You can read about our six-year partnership to bring 4-H STEM opportunities to children outside of school in communities throughout the state, at http://www.4hstemk12.colostate.edu/americorps/

AmeriCorps Colorado

Colorado Department of Agriculture

The mission of the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is to strengthen and advance Colorado agriculture; promote a safe and high-quality food supply; protect consumers; and foster responsible stewardship of the environment and natural resources.

CSU and the Colorado Department of Agriculture partner in a variety of ways to complete applied research, outreach to producers and consider how Colorado policies and programs affect farmers, ranchers and food businesses.

https://ag.colorado.gov/

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

Through cooperative agreements and collaborations with USDA’s various agencies, from the Ag Marketing Service to the National Resource Conservation Service to the Economic Research Service to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, CSU performs engaged scholarships that involves key industry, government, academic and community organizations to assess how changing market and policy conditions affect the competitiveness and resiliency of producers and food businesses.

https://www.usda.gov/

Community Needs Assessment

The mission of Colorado State University Extension is to empower Coloradans to address important and emerging community issues using dynamic, science-based educational resources.

In 2020, CSU Extension embarked on a statewide Community Needs Assessment process to understand changing community needs and our impact into the future. This formal needs assessment process is designed to support our core values of being inclusive and science-based. Our Community Needs Assessment process consists of four main elements:

  1. A perceptions survey to gauge familiarity with off-campus OEE services, the unique values we add, ways we can enhance our services, and barriers to access.
  2. Secondary data analysis that utilizes demographic and economic information as well as other existing data to identify needs and potential partners and informants.
  3. Key informant data collected through interviews and focus groups that will allow us to gather qualitative insights on needs and how to address them.
  4. A community needs assessment (CNA) survey to measure the breadth of needs across a diverse array of respondents.

These data sources will collectively contribute to a detailed understanding of needs in our communities. Through a guided process, CSU Extension staff will use this enhanced understanding of needs to work with CSU and external partners to co-create Program Plans that will become the basis for CSU Extension activities in future years and inform regional and statewide program priorities.

Public Officials Survey

Annually we invite state and local public officials to provide feedback and input to ensure the continued high caliber of our Extension Service as well as to provide insights into changing community needs and opportunities to create more awareness of CSU resources and programs locally.