Extension

The Illinois 4-H Experience Auction returns Sept. 18–20, offering 24 one-of-a-kind experiences and exclusive memorabilia that help support programming and opportunities for Illinois youth. 

Supporters can preview the auction now, explore the offerings, and start planning their bids before bidding opens at 8 a.m. Central Time on Friday, Sept. 18, and closes Sunday, Sept. 20. 

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign often cites its land-grant legacy, but the land-grant university system is not a well-known concept outside of higher education. In fact, many current students, staff, and faculty struggle to define it. So, let’s get into what it means, how it came about, and why it still matters. 

Three members of the College of ACES community — Lisa Kelly, Carissa Nelson, and Mynda Tracy — are recipients of the 2026 Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award. This is one of the highest honors for staff at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and reflects the meaningful impact of their work across ACES and beyond.

Dr. Salah Issa’s career in agricultural safety began in an unexpected way. Starting out at a graduate program in Ecological Sciences and Engineering at Purdue University as a self-described “city kid”, he was unaware that agricultural engineering was even a career option. It wasn’t until he took a course in agrosecurity that the world of agriculture, and its hazards, opened up to him. 

This spring, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will participate in a campuswide crowdfunding initiative known as Orange & Blue Days, inviting community members, alumni, and friends to help the college advance a core part of its mission: strengthening food access across Illinois.

A critical program supporting healthy communities in Illinois and across the country took a devastating hit on July 4 when HR1, the federal budget reconciliation bill, was passed and signed into law. In addition to slashing funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), the bill eliminated funding altogether for SNAP’s companion program, SNAP-Education, which works with community partners to educate SNAP-eligible families and individuals on obesity prevention, healthy foods, active lifestyles, and stretching food dollars. 

Matthew Vann has been named the new associate dean and director of University of Illinois Extension, the flagship public engagement organization housed in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the state’s land-grant university.

On Saturday, July 19, alumni, families, supporters, and current and former staff gathered on the grounds of 4-H Memorial Camp, which is located within Allerton Park but independently owned and operated by Illinois 4-H, to commemorate the camp’s 75th anniversary. Since opening its doors in 1950, 4-H Memorial Camp has shaped the lives of thousands of youth through hands-on learning and connection to the natural world.

In late July, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced it will end a successful Illinois Extension-led program impacting food security and health for 1 million residents annually, affecting nearly 2,000 statewide partnerships, and cutting over 200 jobs — more than one-quarter of Illinois Extension’s workforce.