UNH Cooperative Extension is part of the eXtension educational partnership, helping you find real answers in real time based on “objective, peer-reviewed scientific results” with the backing of more than 70 universities from across the country.

eXtension.org is unlike any other search engine or information-based Web site. It's a space where university content providers gather and produce new educational and information resources on wide-ranging topics.

For the last three years, Extension faculty, specialists and educators have been working across the country to develop the best content available. Currently with 16 resource areas, called “Communities of Practice,” consumers can easily navigate the site to find exactly the answers they need. A Community of Practice is typically multi-institutional, multi-state and multi-disciplinary, bringing the "best of the best" educational resources to the public.

The official launch of the eXtension Web site takes place Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 3:15 pm eastern time in Washington, DC. We will view the launch on campus in Taylor Hall by video conference. Each Extension office (or anywhere with high speed access) will be able to participate by linking to this site by 3 pm.

eXtension.org also offers opportunities for consumers to interact with each other to “grow” their knowledge in a particular field. Drawing on the popularity of online social networking, individuals interested in a specific topic or subject matter area can “gather” to form a Community of Interest. As that Community of Interest grows, professional educators with expertise in that topic or subject matter area join together and form a Community of Practice.

eXtension.org uses the most innovative and advanced features available on the Internet to enhance the learning experience. The site provides contact to over 3,000 Cooperative Extension offices throughout the country and already has a database of 36,000 frequently asked questions.

For more information on eXtension at UNH Cooperative Extension, contact Paul Bonaparte-Krogh (paul.bk@unh.edu) or David Foote (david.foote@unh.edu)