Land Grant History

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The Land Grant system dates back to when Columbus first visited America when he saw how many vast opportunities this country had. Another step towards where we are today is the Declaration of Independence where it established the right to “think, discuss, and express views” (Campbell, 1998, p.1-2.). Other parts of history that influenced todays land grant system is the Equity in Educational land grant Status Act of 1994, Hatch Act, and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. The early developments of the land grant system led to having a land grant university and college in almost every state. To this day, you can continue to see the different types of progress the land grant system is still making today.
The Land Grant Act established universities
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Through this act, it developed different societies, youth organizations, and a cooperative extension to help spread new information and research quicker and to help start the development of new research. For example, you have your FCE clubs, 4-H, Young Farmers and Ranchers, Future Farmers of America, etc. It is through these programs that the land grant university has created and help developed several leaders (Kerr, Davenport, Bryan, & Thompson , 1931, p. 19). The 4-H Youth Development Program allows fourth through twelfth graders to participate in leadership conferences, 4-Hers can participate in judging teams with topics from meat identification to consumer decision making to livestock judging to Parliamentary Procedures. 4-H also allows students leadership opportunities to present workshops, give demonstrations to help highlight what they have learned to help teach something new to someone else, and maybe the stepping-stone to a new development. In the “Spirit of the land grant system” it mentions how extension is a great link from the universities to local communities by having different contacts to help distribute new information to the people in need (Kerr, Davenport, Bryan, & Thompson , 1931, p. 17). Many Extension offices have a wall covered with different flyers with information regarding canning techniques, pest increase within that area, how to reduce arthritis, anything you can think of your local extension office will have some type of information for you and if they do not they can direct you to someone that can help. “Nation-wide Extension service reaching out to the man on the farm and the wife in the Home,” nowadays extension is so much more and continues to provide information from all areas (Kerr, Davenport, Bryan, & Thompson , 1931, p.