Collaboration is Key: Improving and Increasing Inclusive Programming Through Partnership

Authors

• Brandy D James, University of ArizonaFollow
• Elizabeth Sparks, University of ArizonaFollow
• Fiona S Davey, University of ArizonaFollow
• Burris Duncan, University of Arizona
• Nadine Chau, University of Arizona

Volume

64

Issue

1

Abstract

Collaborative partnerships between Cooperative Extension offices and the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities are a key opportunity to assess and improve accessible, inclusive programming for the communities they serve. This article outlines such a partnership between local Extension, the local UCEDD, and the local Network for Down Syndrome. It reviews their collaborative process and the resulting pilot program—-an inclusive cooking class. Evaluations of the program and collaborative process demonstrate that the partners' collaboration enabled organizational capacity building and improved service provision for persons with Down Syndrome.

Authors’ Contribution Statement

Brandy D. James: Co-conceptualized the concept; contributed to program planning, staff training, contributed to the evaluation instrument design; assisted with interpretation of findings; and reviewed and edited the manuscript. Elizabeth Sparks: : Co-conceptualized the concept; contributed to evaluation instrument design, data interpretation, manuscript preparation; and drafted substantial portions of the manuscript. Fiona S. Davey: Contributed to evaluation design and data analysis interpretation of findings; manuscript writing and revision; and reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the published work.

Data Availability

The data are not publicly available due to privacy/ethical restrictions, as they contain information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

James, B., Sparks, E., Davey, F., Duncan, B., & Chau, N. (2026). Collaboration is Key: Improving and Increasing Inclusive Programming Through Partnership. Journal of Extension, 64(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.66752/1077-5315.5621