Cornell Cooperative Extension Diversity Initiatives

Award Purposes

To recognize the outstanding efforts and accomplishments of CCE staff to achieve and sustain diversity and pluralism within our organization, and/or
To recognize the outstanding efforts and accomplishments of a CCE program that addresses the needs and concerns of underrepresented audiences

Diversity is defined as differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and other human differences.

Pluralism is defined as an organizational culture that incorporates mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork, and productivity among people who are diverse in the dimensions of human differences listed above as diversity, as well as other dimensions.

Past Recipients

2007 Award Recipients

Individual Award
Lael Gerhart, Community Food Educator, CCE Tompkins County
Karen Robinson, CCE Nutrition Educator, CCE Tompkins County

For their demonstrated leadership in successfully building partnership across differences that have resulted in assisting low income residents to access fresh, healthy local food through the Community Supported Agriculture program in Tompkins County. This award acknowledges the commitment of these educators to enhancing their recruitment efforts in order to expand their program audience. By actively partnering and building relationships with community groups and individuals that have access to audiences not ordinarily reached by CCE Tompkins these educators were able to enhance the diversity make-up of their programs. In addition to implementing effective diversity recruitment strategies and thriving partnerships across differences, Lael and Karen also ensured the sustainability of the project by securing funding to support its continuity.

Program Award
Building Cross-Cultural Understanding among NYS Dairy Farmers
Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University

Through the efforts of Senior Extension Associate, Thomas R. Maloney and his colleagues in the Department of Applied Economics and Management a comprehensive approach to building greater understanding of Hispanic workers among NYS Dairy employers has been developed. Through various education and applied research activities – including study trips to Mexico, this multifaceted program provides opportunities for dairy managers to expand their knowledge, understanding and awareness in order to 1) enhance their cross-cultural understanding; 2)

develop multicultural teams within their business; and 3) play an educational role related to cultural diversity issues and acceptance of Hispanic workers in the community.

In addition to the individual and program recipients of 2007 Pluralism and Diversity Award the efforts of the following CCE Diversity Champions are also being acknowledged:

CCE Diversity Champions

New Farmer Development Program (NFDP) – Cornell University Cooperative Extension – New York City

The NFDP educates and supports immigrants with agricultural experience to become local food producers and establish small farms in the northeast region. The NFDP is based in New York City and supports new farmers within the city and in New York’s Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains, New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania.

CCE Columbia County 4-H Program

CCE Columbia County Extension Educators have worked on multiple fronts and with various community groups to bring 4-H programming and expertise to children and adults who work with them in the Hudson, the urban center of Columbia County. Through partnerships with the Hudson Youth Center, the Hudson City School District, the Mental Health Association, Operation Unite, Junior Achievement and Providence Hall, the CCE Columbia County 4-H programs is taking the step needed to reach out to and engage historically underrepresented groups.

2006 Recipient

CCE Tompkins County’s Urban 4-H Program. This award is presented to Urban 4-H Program team members, Shari Haldeman, Suzie Schlough, Nhu Le and Wendy Sumner in recognition of their outstanding efforts and accomplishments in programs that address the needs and concerns of underrepresented audiences.

Through this award we recognize CCE Tompkins County’s Urban 4-H program’s efforts to deliberately seek out and meet the needs of underserved audiences in your community. Your colleagues’ tireless work in ensuring that all youth have access to opportunities that support them in building academic and life skills crucial to short-term and long-term “success” is commendable. This program’s commitment to extending the research and knowledge of CCE to reach beyond our traditional audiences is a key to transforming our organization. Shari, Suzie, Nhu, and Wendy’s dedication has helped support the program and audience diversity necessary for making CCE a thriving, responsive and viable organization for all stakeholders.

2005 Recipients

Linda Couchon, Chemung County Awarded for commitment and tireless work with the Change Agent States for Diversity, the CCE Diversity Catalyst Team and Cornell Cooperative Extension to advance diversity and inclusion which results in moving CCE and Extension nationally from compliance to transformation. Linda’s enthusiasm, rich knowledge of diversity resources, incredible organization skills, and caring spirit have supported the individual and organizational change needed to make CCE a thriving, responsive and viable organization.

Audrey Cooper, Tompkins County Awarded for extending the research and knowledge of CCE to reach beyond our traditional audiences as a strategy for transforming our organization. Whether through her work with youth through the Breaking Barriers: Including our Youth in the Community Roundtables, the PowWow, Sister Friend Foundation, or the Tompkins County Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration, Audrey continuously seeks ways of bringing CCE and its resources to new tables.

2003 Recipients

Green Teen Community Gardening and Nutrition Programs, Dutchess County
This award celebrates the work in Dutchess County of reaching out to under-represented youth, developing new internal and external collaborations, and integrating principles of respect for differences, connectedness to community and team building in their practices and programming.

Barbara Baker (4-H Program Leader) and 4-H Staff, Erie County
This award honors Barbara Baker and her staff for their continuous and focused efforts to be inclusive in outreach and innovative in programming. Erie County’s youth program includes inner city audiences as well as Native American youth. In addition to her youth program leadership, Barb is an active member of the American Indian Community Outreach program work team and a new member of the CCE Diversity Catalyst Team.

2002 Recipients

Betty Garcia Mathewson, Diversity Education Specialist, Cornell Migrant Program, Betty's work with diversity impacts the entire system by providing a systems framework that supports individuals, institutions, school districts, and non-profit groups understand the value of inclusion both internally and externally. Betty is equipped with organizational strategic planning and management skills that make her efforts purposeful, goal oriented, and productive.

Communications Workgroup, CCE-NYC, This committee has a cross section of staff members who come together for the specific goal of addressing office communication issues in a non-threatening way. Membership rotates and no one is designated "the leader". The communication workgroup serves as a "safe space" to raise, share, and talk about issues. It has a reporting back system and because the staff drives the agenda, the group's credibility is high.

David Greene and Jane Mt. Pleasant, American Indian Program, This extension program has brought people together in collaborative partnerships emphasizing respect for the traditions, values, and current issues impacting New York Native Americans. As a result of this long-term program they have developed connections, linkages, and good will between CCE, Cornell, SUNY and the Native American community.

2001 Recipient

Tompkins County Cultural Competency Committee (CCC): A model endeavor that began in 1998. Representation occurs voluntarily across program areas and staffing levels. Committee members have equal input, leadership roles are shared, and facilitation and note taker roles rotate monthly. The executive director and strategic planning committee chair serve as links to administration, supporting decisions and communicating recommendations to the Board of Directors.

2001 Special Recognition

Kathy Castania, Cornell Migrant Program
Kathy was Multicultural Specialist in the Department of Human Development, a Senior Extension Associate and a long-term proponent of diversity; working on Extension diversity task forces and propelling Cornell Cooperative Extension's diversity effort.