The Extension Regional Specialist, Expanded Rural Engagement will serve as a key member of a statewide team to guide Colorado State University’s collaborative work with communities to respond to opportunities and challenges facing rural Colorado. The individual in this position will educate, connect, and co-create information and content through applied research, community-based teaching, engaged scholarship, and creative activity that leads to responsive, accessible, transformative, and meaningful learning experiences for all residents of Colorado. This position will expand the reach of Colorado State University through fostering collaborative relationships that engage volunteers, stakeholders, and partners while increasing resources allocated for this program, developing innovative programming and curriculum that addresses shifts in educational program delivery, and identifying teaching and learning strategies that meet learner needs across the state of Colorado.Under the supervision of a CSU Extension Regional Director, this individual will serve as a key leader for the CSU system-wide Expanded Rural Engagement program and will focus on one of four strategic areas: accessible education, improved health, vibrant communities, and/or thriving economies. The individual in this position will provide leadership, guidance, direction, and facilitation of Extension and Engagement programs related to their specific strategic area of expertise. Establishing and maintaining relationships with county, school, and community stakeholders and partners is critical to the success of this position. The individual in this position will independently manage time, schedule programs to meet diverse learner needs, and gather feedback on program quality and effectiveness. The individual in this position will develop an annual plan of work that includes strategies for the implementation, evaluation, and reporting of outcomes that result from the plan and their impact within the Expanded Rural Engagement program.Each of these discipline areas will have multiple open positions:Accessible Education: This strategic area will aim to create localized, navigable, and inclusive education opportunities. The Extension Regional Specialist working in this area will expand collaboration campus programs based on workforce needs, integrate youth development and college access, and provide targeted support in underserved communities.Improved Health: This strategic area will aim to improve support and resources for mental health, aging health, and preventative health. The Extension Regional Specialist working in this area will create a startup program based on state funds to deliver mental health resources to rural Coloradans, develop a national model for engaging seniors and a Center on Healthy Aging, and establish a health extension system based on cooperative agreements across health systems. In particular, positions in this category will provide information, services, and research-based, stress-assistance information, education, nutrition education, suicide prevention training, and referrals to behavioral health-care services to farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers, and their families to mitigate incidences of harmful responses to stress experienced by these individuals.Vibrant Communities and Thriving Economies: This strategic area will aim to strengthen communities through leadership, arts, and dialogue. The Extension Regional Specialist working in this area will build civic capacity through leadership development and training, extend humanities by connecting communities to university arts, history, and storytelling, and build understanding to bridge the urban/rural divide through civic dialogue. A result of this strategic area will be Increased rural community economic metrics for businesses, workforce development while building fiber and 5G connections to underserved rural areas.Food & Agriculture: This strategic area will aim to create a thriving economy through regional development, agricultural development, and includes specific programming related to specialty crops, food systems, agriculture business development, and veterinary services for rural Colorado. The Extension Regional Specialist working in this area will create new and expanded educational pathways through analytics, reimagine ways of working with large-scale agricultural producers, and partner in grants and programs to expand the agriculture value chain and sustainability of agricultural practices.The Expanded Rural Engagement program strives to increase access and improve outcomes for rural Colorado and underserved populations of our state. A strong understanding of, and ability to integrate, the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice is critical. The individual in this position will be expected to apply these principles to identify audiences and their interests; design and implement responsive educational programs; provide training and coaching to Extension colleagues; conduct training with partner organizations and community members, and in refining program delivery evaluation methods.Region Map: These positions will be located in and serve rural Colorado excluding the Front Range Region.A pre-employment Criminal Background Check will be required, as well as a Valid Driver’s License as some travel will be required with the position.