Civil Rights Outreach Activities and Compliance in WNEP
January 2013
Civil Rights activities are part of our Cooperative Extension value for inclusiveness. As a recipient of
federal funding, Cooperative Extension must comply with civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination,
and is required to make all reasonable effort to reach out to specific demographic groups who are
protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Civil Rights outreach activities are those actions
taken to reach out to underserved and protected audiences to engage them in all Cooperative Extension
which includes WNEP educational programs.
Civil Rights outreach activities in WNEP are in five major categories:
1. Yearly training for all WNEP colleagues on Civil Rights activities and compliance
2. Working with partner agencies and other programming partners
3. Civil Rights outreach efforts directed toward audiences and learners protected by the Civil Rights
Laws
4. Civil Rights compliance activities
5. Documentation about audiences reached with educational programming.
Let’s examine each of these five major activities in a little more detail as they apply to WNEP.
1. Yearly training for all WNEP colleagues on Civil Rights activities and compliance
Currently being revised. Watch for details in next several months.
2. Working with partner agencies and other programming partners.
It is the responsibility of all Cooperative Extension colleagues who offer educational programming to
ensure that all programming that is offered by Cooperative Extension, either alone or in partnership with
other agencies or groups is open and available to protected audiences and is planned and offered in ways
that do not discriminate.
There are two important parts of this responsibility: 1) the requirement that all partners are informed
about Cooperative Extension’s nondiscrimination policies, and 2) collecting information confirming that
agency partners have similar policies and practices.
The Civil Rights Leadership Team of Cooperative Extension has developed, and recommends the use of,
a letter template for communicating about Civil Rights and nondiscrimination with agency partners. The
letter is available at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/admin/crights/ under “Resources and Tools”
Suggested & Best Practices in WNEP:
 Option 1: In many counties, all Cooperative Extension colleagues coordinate the timing of the
mailing of this letter to partners and agencies with whom they work in the county. It often makes
sense for WNEP to participate in this group effort in a county office.
 Option 2: Following the conclusion of each fiscal/programming year, it is often a great time to
connect with agencies and other WNEP partners. Each partner can be informed of the WNEP
programming that took place in partnership with them. At that same time, the required
communication about Civil Rights activities and nondiscrimination policies and practices can be
accomplished by mailing the letter informing partners about Cooperative Extension policies and
exploring the agency’s policies and practices in the Civil Rights arena.
 Option 3: During the spring of each year as proposals and programming plans are being developed
for the up-coming fiscal year, all potential programming partners are contacted by WNEP colleagues.
This time is another potential opportunity for accomplishing the required communication about Civil
Rights activities and nondiscrimination policies and practices with partners.
3. Civil Rights outreach efforts directed toward audiences and learners
Direct outreach, marketing and/or advertising efforts that are undertaken by colleagues in Cooperative
Extension and WNEP specifically to reach protected and underserved audience groups and attempt to
connect them with Extension programming. The Civil Rights Leadership Team has many descriptions
and resources related to this work. Refer to those resources at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/admin/crights/
under “Expanding Access through Civil Rights Activities and “Resources and Tools” Also go
to:http://blogs.ces.uwex.edu/adv-diversity/policies-and-support-for-educators/ for information on Civil
Rights, serving learners of all abilities and working with people with various levels of English
proficiency. As for all Cooperative Extension colleagues, WNEP staff should keep documentation and
examples in Civil Rights files that demonstrate these good faith outreach efforts that were undertaken.
4. Civil Rights compliance activities
An essential component of Civil Rights compliance is ensuring that WNEP colleagues, potential
employees, and program participants are well-informed about Civil Rights activities and their rights.
Office Posters: The following posters must be displayed in visible areas within the Cooperative
Extension or WNEP office:
 And Justice for All (English and Spanish)
 Wisconsin Fair Employment Law (English and Spanish)
 Equal Opportunity is the Law
Non-Discrimination statement on materials for public use: All printed materials used as information
or education for WNEP participants must include a statement about non-discrimination. Refer to
resources at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/admin/crights/ Look under “Resources & Tools” for
nondiscrimination statement wording instructions and examples.
Disability Accommodations: All WNEP colleagues must know how to handle requests from employees
or participants for accommodations. Refer to resources at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/admin/crights/ for
serving People with Disabilities
Materials in languages other than English: All WNEP colleagues must know how to handle a need or
request for printed materials in a language other than English. Go to: http://blogs.ces.uwex.edu/advdiversity/policies-and-support-for-educators/ for Policies
Handling Complaints: All WNEP colleagues must know how to handle any inquiries about or
statements of complaint related to Civil Rights or access to programs or services from any employee,
potential employee, or program participant.
5. Documentation about audiences reached with educational programming.
As a recipient of federal dollars, Cooperative Extension is required to keep records of participants reached
through direct educational programming, as well as information related to mailing lists, advisory groups,
etc. Data is to be collected and reported about the gender, race and ethnicity of all persons with whom
Extension colleagues interact in the ways listed above.
Data collection:
 Direct education programming: each participant is included in the record according to his/her race,
ethnicity, gender and age group. Ideally and whenever practical, participants should be asked to selfselect the ethnicity, race, gender and age categories with which they identify. See attached form
which can be used for this purpose.


Mailing lists: refer to information on the Civil Rights webpages at:
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/admin/crights/
Advisory Groups: refer to information on the Civil Rights webpages at:
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/admin/crights/
Civil Rights data reporting:
 Chart 1: One or more Chart 1’s must be completed and filed on the Civil Rights reporting webpage
at the end of each fiscal year. See table below to find the specific requirements for a particular WNEP
project.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WNEP PROJECT
Funding
Number
of
Counties
SNAPEd?
1
X
X
1
X
X
X
2
X
X
X
3
1
EFNEP?
X
X
Adult
Learners?
X
X
X
Children
& Youth
Learners?
CIVIL RIGHTS CHART 1’S TO BE
COMPLETED EACH YEAR
One Chart 1: a single Chart 1 on which all adult
programming numbers are reported and compared
to potential adult participants.
Two Chart 1’s:
 #1 for all adult programming numbers reported
and compared to potential adult participants;
 #2 for all programming for children reported and
compared to potential participants who are
children
Four Chart 1’s – Two for each County:
 #1 for all adult programming numbers reported
and compared to potential adult participants;
 #2 for all programming for children reported and
compared to potential participants who are
children
X
Optional Additional Chart 1’s: Complete and
submit more than two Chart 1’s for each county to
summarize SNAP-Ed programming. Each Chart 1
would summarize a large, meaningful portion of
programming (ie. Segmented by major partnership
or Educational Project)
Six Chart 1’s – Two for each of the three
Counties:
 #1 for all adult programming numbers reported
and compared to potential adult participants;
 #2 for all programming for children reported and
compared to potential participants who are
children
X
Optional Additional Chart 1’s: Complete and
submit more than two Chart 1’s for each county to
summarize SNAP-Ed programming. Each Chart 1
would summarize a large, meaningful portion of
programming (ie. Segmented by major partnership
or Educational Project)
Three Chart 1’s:
 #1 for SNAP-Ed adult programming numbers
reported and compared to potential adult
participants
 #2 for SNAP-Ed programming for children
reported and compared to potential participants
who are children
 #3 for EFNEP adult programming numbers
reported and compared to potential adult
participants.
2
X
X
X
X
Optional Additional Chart 1’s: Complete and
submit more than two Chart 1’s to summarize
SNAP-Ed programming. Each Chart 1 would
summarize a large, meaningful portion of
programming (ie. Segmented by major partnership
or Educational Project)
Six Chart 1’s – Three for each of the two
Counties:
 #1 for SNAP-Ed adult programming numbers
reported and compared to potential adult
participants
 #2 for SNAP-Ed programming for children
reported and compared to potential participants
who are children
 #3 for EFNEP adult programming numbers
reported and compared to potential adult
participants.
Optional Additional Chart 1’s: Complete and
submit more than two Chart 1’s for each county to
summarize SNAP-Ed programming. Each Chart 1
would summarize a large, meaningful portion of
programming (ie. Segmented by major partnership
or Educational Project)
Chart 2: One or more Chart 2’s listing contacts for WNEP programming—email lists and/or Advisory
group membership. For information go to:
https://intranet.ces.uwex.edu/tools/accountability/civilrights/SitePages/Resource%20Guide.aspx