The Cooperative Extension Service is the largest, most successful informal education organization in the world. For more than 70 years, extension has been a strong and dynamic force in agriculture, home economics, natural resources, and community development. The unique tri-level partnership between federal, state, and local governments has proven effective and efficient and has provided the flexibility to adjust to new and additional educational directions. Extension transmits practical, reliable information from universities and research centers on a variety of subjects designed to help people identify and solve problems. More than 3,000 extension offices throughout the nation make up a vast network for extending knowledge to all Americans.