About Community Development

Purdue Extension Community Development has a long history of serving Indiana communities and beyond. Beginning with the work of Extension specialists in the Department of Agricultural Economics in the 1950s and the addition of Extension educators in the 1970s, our program area has grown into a thriving team of Extension professionals based in counties, regional offices, and on the Purdue University campus.

 Purdue Extension Community Development offers educational programming and conducts applied research in four Thematic Areas. To deepen the impact of our work, we partner with our sister Extension program areas, academic departments at Purdue University, university centers (Purdue Center for Regional Development and the Purdue Institute for Family Business, for example), and numerous external partners.

Contact Us

Mailing Address
615 Mitch Daniels- AGAD 219
West Lafayette, IN 47907

 CDExtension@purdue.edu

Phone (765) 496-3425

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Purdue Extension Community Development is a state chapter of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP). As Community Development Extension professionals, we are committed to NACDEP's vision to be an organization of Extension professionals that: "connects, co-creates, and advocates for inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible community and economic development principles, programs, and activities to strengthen communities", which complements our mission to: "strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes."

Furthermore, as Community Development Extension professionals, we strive to actively demonstrate these principles and practices in our interactions with colleagues and partner communities. Additionally, we follow the Community Development Society's Principles of Good Practice to guide our professional work.

Learn more about Purdue University's efforts from the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and the College of Agriculture's Office of Multicultural Programs.

 Land Acknowledgment

 The Purdue Extension Community Development Program acknowledges that 52 land-grant institutions were founded through the forced acquisition of over 11 million acres of Indigenous land, affecting 245 Tribal Nations.

We further acknowledge the Indigenous people's traditional homelands, which Purdue University is built upon. We honor and appreciate the Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi), Lenape (Delaware), Myaamia (Miami), and Shawnee People, who are the original Indigenous caretakers.

We recognize that acknowledgment does not account for the lands, lives, and cultures affected by our land-grant system's founding.

We strive to learn more about the past and present of Indigenous People. We are actively fostering new relationships and strengthening old ones to serve as a foundation for building trust, partnerships, and collaborations. We are committed to creating a vibrant future for all communities in the United States and the sovereign Indigenous nations we serve.

To learn more about the Indigenous Nations represented at Purdue University and their activities, visit the Native American Educational and Cultural Center. Please also visit Native-land.ca for information about Indigenous territories, languages, lands, and ways of life.

 CONNECT