Contact Person:
	Ingrid H. Holmes
	Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Science
	Maryland Cooperative Extension
	Wicomico County
	PO Box 1836
	Salisbury, MD 21802-1836

Presenters:
        Ingrid Holmes			
        Salisbury, MD

        Maurice Dorsey                           Kathy Castania                          May Mong
        Washington, D.C.                         Alton, NY                                    Flint, MI

        Jenny Grover                               Marilyn Corbin                           Judy Kingston
        Washington, D.C.                        University Park, PA                    Monterey Park, CA

        Cathy Matinez                             Jose Vasquez                               La Verne Blount
        Colorado Springs, CO                 Milwaukee, WI                            Oneonta, AL

        Susan Damme                              David Travis                               Joanne Bankston
        St. Paul, MN                                Blacksburg, VA                           Frankfort, KY

        A. J. Dye                                      Marlene Berger
        Washington, D.C.                        Logan, UT

Description:
As the 21st century approaches, many of the old attitudes of exclusion remain entrenched in the system. To remain competitive and viable, Extension must embrace change and realize the benefits of diversity in programming and employment. This session will further examine the principles addressed in "Pathway to Diversity 1991" and provide methodology to implement and promote change in the system.

Conference Objective:
Benefits of Diversity in Cooperative Extension: Implication for County and State Faculty in Programming for the 21st Century will help attendees identify innovative ways to reach new audiences as we strive to keep our careers challenging. The proposed session also discusses successful education delivery systems for the future.

Abstract:
The Commitment: The Cooperative Extension system is committed to an emphasis on diversity in mission and vision; work force; programs; audiences; and relationships with other people, groups and organizations.
Pathway to Diversity, October 1991

For the past decade the Cooperative Extension system has been grappling with the best ways to make system changes that will undo the divisiveness of our past and create a truly diverse organization. The Personnel and Organizational Development Committee's (PODC) Subcommittee on Extension Diversity (SED) has been responsible for the production of these past reports and through this document is continuing to provide the system with a vision for its movement. In addition to a vision, the change process requires that all people in the organization have a reason for wanting the change to occur and have some degree of dissatisfaction with the status quo. In order to internalize the motivation to engage in this process, we all need rationale and a clear picture of the viable outcomes. This abstract is intended to assist with creating the desire for this change to occur by envisioning what our organization could be like when it truly values diversity and manages the change process.

The challenge for Cooperative Extension is to keep pace with other organizations in our communities, sharing a vision that informs and assists families and individuals to adjust to our diverse and complex world. As a community-based public service organization, there is the opportunity to support such efforts in industry, our schools, and other government agencies, and to act as a model for how to implement our democratic ideals. The challenge for the system includes rethinking how we have done things in the past and developing additional ways of doing things to meet the needs of not only those we have traditionally served well, but also those we have failed to serve. The challenge for the individual includes developing behaviors, attitudes, and skills that will allow us to work effectively across differences with any individual, department, or program. Meeting these challenges will bring us closer to our vision. The concurrent session looks at the benefits that will come to individuals, organizations and communities that take on the challenge.

Finally, for change to occur successfully, there needs to be a well-defined process for getting there. Like any change it won't happen if left to chance. Therefore, we have included an introduction to the "How To's of managing diversity through the framework of three initiatives: Profile Improvement, Valuing Differences, and Managing Diversity. The implications in the administrative offices and in the field will ultimately improve program delivery bringing the system fully into the next century.