An extension agency is an organisation that practises
extension
Extension, extend or extended may refer to:
Mathematics
Logic or set theory
* Axiom of extensionality
* Extensible cardinal
* Extension (model theory)
* Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate
* E ...
, in the context of
community development
The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists ...
. An example is the ''
Cooperative Extension Service
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) was an extension agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part of the executive branch of the federal government. The 1994 Department Reorganization Act, ...
'', which aims to assist individuals or groups in defining and achieving their goals in rural communities in the USA.
Extension agents are trained in the skills of extension, such as communication and group facilitation, and usually in technical areas of the sector they serve (for example agriculture, health, or safety).
Agricultural extension
Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of 'extension' now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for r ...
agencies promote more profitable and sustainable farming, while health extension agencies promote improved health.
Extension agents are represented by professional organisations such as th
Australasia-Pacific Extension Networkand publish in journals such as th
Journal of Extension
{{DEFAULTSORT:Extension Agency
Urban planning
Rural community development
Agricultural research institutes