Building a Foundation for a Career in
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension

How do I . . . ?
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Questions. Every new county Extension professional has them--lots of them! Almost certainly, when you arrive on the job, there will be little time to sit and study and seek answers before the work begins. In fact, you probably already have telephone calls to return and needs of county clientele to be met - meetings to go to and people to see.

To help you with the many challenges that lie ahead and give you the information you need to begin your career, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension provides an intensive orientation program during your first year of employment.

“Foundations” is designed to:

introduce you to available resources to help you with your county program

provide information on policies, procedures, benefits and other matters

help you establish a sense of professionalism and pride in your position

begin building a personal professional development plan

provide basic program area information you will need as you begin to educate county clientele

expose you to the vision, mission and philosophy of Cooperative Extension and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

help you identify your role in fulfilling Extension’s mission

answer any and all questions you may have.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

The Foundations Program consists of the following components. Click on the links in the side menu for more information.

Foundations Trainings:

“Getting Your Bearings: Introduction to Extension” (a web-based course)

“Extension Foundations”
     Phase I: “Skills and Tools”
     Phase II: “Program Development”

“Basics of Youth Development”

Program Area Training(s):
     “Agriculture and Natural Resources Foundations”
     “Family and Consumer Sciences Foundations”
     “4-H Fundamentals”

In-County Orientation with:

County Extension Coordinator (CEC)
County Extension Secretary (CES)
District Extension Director (DED)
Program Development Coordinator (PDC) - A&NR, 4-H
Program Development Specialist (PDS) - FACS

Mentor Support:

You will be assigned a mentor by your DED to work with you during your first year of employment. A minimum of three visits will be held. You will also make an Observation Visit to a county which is demographically and programmatically different from your base county.

Staff Development Plan:

You will build a staff development plan, with input from your CEC, DED and PDC/PDS, identifying classes and trainings beneficial to you and your county program. You will also be encouraged to consider other professional development opportunities.

Progress Reports:

You will meet with your CEC periodically to assess your progress, set goals, and discuss any issues that need to be addressed.

At the completion of the program, you will have a strong foundation for building an effective and rewarding career with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

RECORD OF COMPLETION

To help you and your supervisors monitor your progress toward completion of the program a Record of Completion Form is provided. Print the form and enter dates for each item as completed.

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