Adults as Learners: Teaching Adults in Extension

Teaching adults is the foundation upon which rests the Cooperative Extension mission, “to enable people to improve their lives and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work.” Agents and university faculty began targeting adult audiences through Extension programs that predated the Smith Lever Act of 1914, and adult education is as important today as it was more than 100 years ago. As an adult educator, it is important for you to better understand your adult audiences and their educational needs to ensure that Extension remains the world’s largest non-formal educational program. Although teaching adults in a non-formal arena does not yield a formal degree or certification, the training or other education avenues are vital to their lives and businesses