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State program leader champions initiatives that help create strong individuals, families, and communities By Deborah A. Benedetti
“One of the most important things we can do is to communicate the value of our outreach programs at the local level,” says Dr. Marilyn Corbin, state program leader for children, youth and families with Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach. “The College of Health and Human Development is committed to improving the quality of life throughout the life span,” says Dr. Sara Parks, associate dean for outreach, Cooperative Extension and international programs in the college. “We know there is so much that has to be done in the area of health and human dvelopment, and there’s no way we can do this alone. There are so many more clients than before, and the problems are so much more complex. To address these problems, we need to build strong linkages with colleagues in the College of Agricultural Sciences and other Penn State units.” “My goals are to integrate research, extension and teaching and build program leadership,” says Dr. Blannie E. Bowen, head of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and C. Lee Rumberger and Family Chair of Agriculture. He is leading a number of departmental initiatives involving children, youth and families programming. One is a professional master’s degree program focusing on youth and family education for individuals who want to work with youth in 4-H, scouting and other nonformal areas. The program is expected to be available this fall. Bowen also is planning to add new faculty positions in the department in the youth and family area. “We need people who can look holistically at research and extension across the life span.”	For nearly a century, Penn State Cooperative Extension has been helping Pennsylvanians build strong families and communities by offering a wide range of information and education programs. As the 21st century approaches, Outreach and Cooperative Extension is renewing its commitment to outreach programming for children, youth and families under the leadership of Dr. Marilyn Corbin. Last October, Corbin was appointed state program leader for children, youth and families with Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach. Since then, she has traveled extensively throughout Pennsylvania to gather information about current programming for children, youth and families and to identify future programming needs. She has met with county Cooperative Extension staff members across the state, Pennsylvania agricultural constituent groups, national extension organizations, including the National 4-H Council and U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local government representatives. At the state level, she has met with representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Education, Labor and Public Welfare to establish communication about extension’s programs for children and families. In this new position, Corbin also is responsible for providing leadership and support for the development, implementation and evaluation of statewide extension education programs for children, older youths and families, including 4-H. At the same time, she is developing funding and other resources for Cooperative Extension and outreach initiatives and coordinating training needs for county educators. She also is working closely with College of Agricultural Sciences administrators, academic and regional unit leaders, faculty members and county extension agents to develop future goals. In addition, she is collaborating with faculty and staff members involved in academic and outreach programs in other colleges. A key priority for Corbin is shaping the new vision for children, youth and families programming. She is inviting ideas from Cooperative Extension faculty and staff members. “Our vision for children, youth and families outreach programming needs to be broad as well as inclusive. We need to think about the future of children, youth and families in the Commonwealth,” she said. “The family is the first resource for adults and children, and it is the most basic institution in society. Families face all kinds of challenges. Strong families produce children who are emotionally robust, who can find a role in the workplace and who are able to hold enduring relationships. Families must be able to meet basic needs, creatively solve problems, provide caring support systems for family members and bounce back from stress and crisis. “I believe that children, youth and families do not exist separate from one another. They interact in intricate patterns across the life cycle. The lives of people of all ages are intertwined with those with whom they live and interact. People are deeply affected by the environments in which they grow and learn, by their significant others and by the communities in which they live.” Research shows that education can be combined with service and community support to strengthen a family’s ability to cope with challenges. This is where Outreach and Cooperative Extension can help. “We have very valuable roles to play as extension educators,” Corbin said. “We also want to work with colleagues in other colleges to address the social issues and challenges facing Pennsylvanians.” All of Penn State’s outreach initiatives for children, youth and families across the life span can be likened to an umbrella, she said. “An umbrella is like a shelter, a home, that gives protection and builds resiliency against the elements. There is room for all of us under the umbrella. It is where our collective vision of greater breadth and depth is sheltered and supported. It is where our dreams become a reality.” There are a variety of supports for this programming under the umbrella, including the research conducted by the College of Agricultural Sciences and other faculty members that is used in existing programs and for developing new programming, the newly established Children, Youth and Families Consortium, and the ongoing and new partnerships being formed with internal and external groups. The consortium has already provided funds to Corbin and Dr. Claudia C. Mincemoyer, manager of staff development for the College of Agricultural Sciences, for a series of satellite training sessions on topics related to adolescence. Training is planned for: September, John D. Swisher, former professor of education and head, Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology and Rehabilitation Services, College of Education, “Drug and Alcohol Signs and Prevention Strategies”; December, Nancy Darling, assistant professor of human development and family studies, College of Health and Human Development, “Parenting in Adolescence”; and February 2000, Edward Smith, associate professor of human development and family studies, College of Health and Human Development, “Teen Pregnancy,” and Connie Flanagan, associate professor of agricultural and extension education, College of Agricultural Sciences, “Character Development.” Before her appointment as state program leader, Corbin was professor of family and consumer sciences and assistant to the director of the Cooperative Extension Service at North Carolina State University for five years. She has worked in extension for most of her career. After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration and home economics from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., in 1970 and a master’s degree in textiles and interior design from Kansas State University in 1972, she began her career as a consumer education and clothing and textiles specialist for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service at Texas A&M University. She earned a doctorate in family life education from Kansas State in 1982. Corbin has received national and state awards for her extension efforts. She also is active in many professional organizations and is now president-elect of the Association of Leadership Educators.