About Us

CCE of Westchester is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals.

We were founded during the Abraham Lincoln administration, Cooperative Extension has been fostering "outreach" since well before the term "outreach" was coined Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County is part of a potent national network of educational service agencies. There is a Cooperative Extension office in almost every county in the country. 

As Cooperative Extension is always associated with a given states' land grant university, in New York State, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County functions within the framework of our close relationship with Cornell University and our position under the USDA. The common goal of the Cooperative Extension network is to deliver answers and empowerment to you, the general public, concerning a myriad of issues and topics.

We accomplish this through the dissemination of pertinent, university based research. From its original focus on agriculture, Cooperative Extension has gown to serve household and youth needs through the earlier development of its Home Economics, 4-H and, more recently, its local Horticulture Divisions. In Westchester county, these "Divisions" have further evolved to serve today's local communities through collaboration between our Horticulture and the Environment, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences and 4-H Youth and Family Development programs and our many partners in the community.

Last updated January 29, 2020