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About Children, Youth, Families and Communities The Children, Youth, Families and Communities (CYFC) division of MSU Extension manages 4-H Youth Development and all of the programs that were formerly part of the Family & Consumer Sciences area, including EFNEP, Better Kid Care, the Breastfeeding Initiative, Project FRESH, etc. The CYFC vision is to be a nationally and globally recognized leader in programming that addresses critical issues related to children, youth, families and communities in cooperation with public and private sector partners. The CYFC mission is to build the capacity of Michigan State University Extension and communities across Michigan to use research, influence policy and enhance practice to improve the quality of life among Michigan children, youth and families. The CYFC unit offers programs and/or services in six area to facilitate collaborative programming across the life span: To learn more about the individual focus areas, click on the focus area name on the graphic below.
How the CYFC Strategic Plan Fits Within the MSU Extension Strategic Plan Our greatest strengths are our community-based approach to delivery and our unwavering efforts to serve the needs of children, youth, families and communities, regardless of whether they are urban, suburban or rural. In all of our programming, we promote healthy lifestyles for all, we build leaders for the present and the future, and we equip our audiences to become able and informed decision makers. We help people apply knowledge and research so they can make positive changes in their lives. Our strong partnerships with volunteers produce young people who are capable and well positioned to enter the workforce. We also empower families with the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy choices so they can contribute to their communities.
This document presents the CYFC role in addressing the priority areas identified in the MSU Extension and Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station’s 2006 strategic plan, Strengthening Michigan’s Economy: Roles for the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and Michigan State University Extension. According to that plan, nearly 10,000 people were involved in the issues identification process, which helped “define research and educational priorities for the future. Results of the findings [are shaping] local programs that use the university’s research capability and knowledge base to address the priority needs of people across Michigan.” (p. 3) “The 21st century world is changing rapidly, presenting citizens, communities and businesses with challenging issues. Obesity, social justice, the need for mentoring and elder-friendly communities,” preparing youth for future jobs and challenges, “health issues of special populations, and development of small businesses . . . are but a few of the issues we must consider in the 21st century. These are among the many new and emerging trends” incorporated into five strategic priorities. These strategic priorities are interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional programming boundaries to benefit the entire spectrum of Michigan residents. (p. 3) The five priority areas include:
The priority area sections (see the links in the sidebar at the top right of the page) reflect a consolidation of MSU Extension priorities that pertain to CYFC programming, its mission and vision. Existing programs that address the priorities have been highlighted. CYFC Logic Models MSU Extension staff may view examples of logic models for various CYFC programs by clicking on the link below then entering their MSU Extension Portal login and password information.
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