PROPOSED LANGUAGE

"For an additional amount for 'Payments to States and Puerto Rico,' for payments for extension work under Section 109 of the District of Columbia Public Education Act, as amended by the Act of June 20, 1968 (Public Law 90–354), $150.000."

EXPLANATION OF LANGUAGE

This proposed supplemental appropriation would provide $144,000 for payment to the Federal City College and $6,000 for the Federal Extension Service. The request would fund programs of training in home counseling, nutrition habits, youth development, and other programs to strengthen family units in the District of Columbia, as authorized by Public Law 90-354, approved June 20, 1968.

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS

For a number of years, Cooperative Extension Service in response to the demands of the people has been expanding its programs into urban areas. Many cities in America have asked the Cooperative Extension Service for its leadership in setting up programs of training in home counseling, nutrition habits, and youth development, as well as in other areas of concern. Many mayors of problem-plagued cities have known how effective these programs can be in creating greater family stability, in providing supplementary educational programs, and in salvaging drop-outs from school and society from the brink of delinquency and despair. The recent District of Columbia Public Education Act, as Amended, enacted by Congress will provide the effect of these Cooperative Extension Service programs to the District of Columbia.

There are in the District of Columbia some 96,000 youngsters between the ages of 9 and 19 in 49,000 families who live in circumstances approaching poverty. Cooperative Extension programs could provide urgently needed supplemental assistance to these youngsters and their families who are hopelessly caught up in impoverished circumstances by informational, educational, and vocational inadequacies. Through its 4-H and youth development programs, the Cooperative Extension Service assists young people in improving their skills, strengthening personal confidence, assuming more responsibility, and increasing their desire for more experiences for learning about themselves, their community, and their world. Some of the long range objectives in working with youth from low income and poverty families are to develop leadership among low-income adults and youth through 4-H programs and to involve teenagers of all socio-economic levels in working with disadvantaged youth.

The family unit is considered to be the most important instrument in the process of developing the individual. Through this primary group the individual may acquire habits, ideals, attitudes, images, and examples which both stimulate and motivate him toward being a responsible citizen. However, many families in congested areas of Washington have been unable to provide for their children the kind of home life which fosters good health, individual development, and good citizenship. Often this is beyond their control and even beyond their understanding. Parents from many low-income groups lack skills in maintaining their homes, furnishings and equipment, and in managing their limited income.

Extension home economics programs provide the opportunity for families to acquire knowledge regarding nutrition and home management, develop skills in decision-making, adopt improved practices to help them achieve family stability; acquire consumer competence; and provide a satisfying physical and emotional environment essential to growth and development of individual family members and to use facilities and services provided by the community.

In spite of plentiful food supplies and increasing purchasing power, many residents of the District of Columbia have an inadequate income and inadequate diet. Poor diets are found at all economic levels, but the percentage of persons having poor diets is highest among families at the poverty level. The influence of malnutrition on learning and behavior is receiving increased attention. Preliminary studies indicate that malnutrition in the preschool years, probably before the age of three, retards mental development. The effect of malnutrition in retarding physical growth is well established.

The effectiveness of Cooperative Extension Service programs conducted by the Federal City College depends upon the availability of resources with which to work. The District of Columbia Public Education Act, as Amended, authorizes the appropriation of funds to finance the necessary program. Under these circumstances, the proposed Federal funds earmarked for use in the District of Columbia for fiscal year 1969 and appropriated to the Federal Extension Service

as a separate item under the subappropriation item Payments to States and Puerto Rico are essential to satisfactory educational progress. These funds will be allocated to the Federal City College on the basis of approved plans of work, taking into account problems and opportunities within the District of Columbia.

JUSTIFICATION FOR SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE, FISCAL YEAR 1969, FOR "COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK, PAYMENTS AND EXPENSES"

Payment to the District of Columbia for cooperative extension work under the District of Columbia Public Education Act, as amended:

1. Program: Pilot projects designed to develop and test methods to work with low-income families and disadvantaged youth have been conducted in Alabama, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Arkansas. These pilot projects, while limited in scope and in geographic area, have established several facts:

a. Low-income and low socio-economic and disadvantaged families want to learn and can learn when properly motivated, and can be taught to effectively participate in human development.

b. In the initial stage, home visits and personal contacts are necessary to gain the families' confidence and support, to identify the most hurting problems toward which educational efforts would be directed, and to involve the individuals in early stages of planning educational programs.

c. As compared to work with the better educated family, an agent must work with a fewer number of low income families if these families are to make necessary changes toward improved nutrition and family living.

d. Extension aides have an understanding of, and can establish rapport with the audience to be served.

e. Extension aides can be used effectively to expand the work of the professional Extension workers in teaching specific skills essential to individual development and for improving quality of living.

f. To assist families in human development, it is as important to change attitudes in many situations as it is to teach skills.

The Cooperative Extension Service and the District of Columbia propose to initiate an educational program using new methods tested in pilot projects to assist individuals, family groups, and organizations to achieve human development and improve the environment of the family. The Federal City College will use the proposed additional allocation of Federal funds to:

a. Establish programs to assist all the families acquire knowledge and skills and to adopt practices necessary to achieve the highest possible level of family living. Special efforts will be devoted to reaching those groups in the population whose needs are most acute and who are hardest to reach.

b. Direct the "family centered" program to adults and youth who do not or cannot take advantage of existing educational opportunities, to motivate them to learn self-help skills, change attitudes, and gain knowledge which will improve the quality of family living.

c. Establish Extension area centers whereby the local neighborhood involvement can increase the effectiveness of these programs.

d. Employ Extension program aides who will be trained and supervised by Extension professionals to reach and teach adults and youth.

e. Establish and conduct programs designed specifically for youth from disadvantaged families.

f. Direct teaching efforts toward low-income families (adults and youth) in order for them to adopt new food habits and nutritional practices and develop better homemaking skills and family management practices.

g. Provide the opportunity, through home economics programs for families to acquire knowledge, develop skills, and adopt improved practices in home management, textiles and clothing, health, housing, safety, interpersonal relationships, human development, and food and nutrition.

h. Identify and develop potential leadership among low-income adults and youth who will work in 4-H programs.

i. Make maximum use of the volunteer lay leaders who are competent in the effective use of resources and capable of assisting others to strive towards individual growth and human development.

To make progress in accomplishing the above, the Cooperative Extension Service and the District of Columbia will employ about 3 man-years of professional staff with specialized skills and approximately 18 man-years of extension aides with the funds requested. Extension aides will for the most part be employed from the target audience, may have a high school education and must show an interest in, and an ability to work with people. It is not anticipated that these positions will pose serious recruitment problems. To make the progress needed in the District of Columbia, $150,000 will be required during fiscal year 1969. Of this amount, $144,000 shall be paid to the District of Columbia and $6,000 shall be allotted to the Federal Extension Service.

2. Set-aside for Federal administration: The District of Columba Public Education Act, as amended, provides that four percent of the sums appropriated under Section 109, subsection (b), for each fiscal year shall be allotted to the Federal Extension Service. These funds, $6,000, are necessary to provide for administrative, technical and other services provided by the Federal Extension Service in carrying out the program in the District of Columbia.

EXTENSION SERVICES TO DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Chairman, it is a privilege to appear before this
committee today to request funds for initiating an extension program
in the District of Columbia. Supplemental funds of $150,000 are
requested to initiate a cooperative extension program in the Dis-
trict of Columbia as authorized by Public Law 90-354, approved on
June 20 of this year. This law established the Federal City College
as a land-grant college and made it eligible for many of the pro-
grams which the Federal Government carries on in cooperation with
such institutions.

Since passage of the Federal City College Act, a memorandum of
understanding has been entered into between the college and the De-
partment of Agriculture. This memorandum sets forth the same
operating procedures and arrangements that are in effect with the
cooperating land-grant institutions in the States and Puerto Rico.
Also, an extension director has been appointed by the college to head
the program. We are ready to move.

The District of Columbia is not unlike many States that have made
effective use of the Cooperative Extension Šervice especially 4-H
youth development and home economics programs.

Extension methods for the District of Columbia will be patterned after those which have been tested and found effective in extension developmental projects carried out in low-income areas.

Having an Extension Service will help the Federal City College to truly become a college to help the total community. It will learn of of the problems of the community and help local organizations to plan for youth development, adult education, teaching homemaker skills, child health, and other needed programs.

The $150,000 requested will provide for a small staff of professionals and about 18 man-years of extension aides. We have found that through the use of extension aides more families can be helped. These aides are trained and supervised by the professional extension worker. The aides will generally work in the areas in which they live. Basic is the requirement that they have an interest and ability to work with the people.

The annual appropriation for extension work under the SmithLever Act generally requires the States to match any increase in Federal funds. The Federal City College Act provides that for 1969 and 1970 the college need not match the Federal funds. However, effective July 1, 1970, the Federal City College will be required to provide onehalf of the cost of the extension program.

The District of Columbia is the last area in the United States to have an extension program available to it. We believe that much can be accomplished in overcoming problems through our cooperative effort.

I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

ENROLLMENT IN FEDERAL CITY COLLEGE

Senator HOLLAND. Dr. Davis, is the Federal City College in operation now?

Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. It started with the first class of students this fall. Senator HOLLAND. How many students do they have enrolled? Mr. DAVIS. Somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 in their freshman class.

TYPES OF EXTENSION WORK

Senator HOLLAND. The type of work that the Extension Service will do here would have little relation to farms or agricultural work, but it would be largely confined to homemaking, and health work, and matters of that kind, is that right?

Mr. DAVIS. Homemaking, family considerations, and youth program comparable to our 4-H program in other places.

Senator HOLLAND. In the event the committee should see fit to grant any appropriation for this year I wish you would supply for the record a breakdown showing the way you would propose to spend