Role of Outreach and Extension Activities in Building Skills Among Students of Higher Education Institutions

By : R. Belinda

Page No: 36-42

Abstract
The term “extension and outreach activities” refers to the proactive steps that an institution takes to share knowledge, expertise, and services with the community at large that are outside of its immediate reach. In other words, “extends” the benefits of its work beyond the institution’s conventional boundaries and “reaches out” to engage with a range of populations. These efforts usually include awareness campaigns, community engagement initiatives, and educational programs designed to address specific needs and issues in the community.
When students are involved in community engagement activities such as outreach, extension or service learning, they become better equipped to relate classroom ideas and knowledge to real-world circumstances since they are involved in practical activities and reflections. Additionally, students research, experiment, make decisions, solve problems think critically, think creatively, communicate, be accountable, gain leadership skills, and make great teams. They are also involved at all levels— intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and/or physical. Students gain new skills and develop already existing skill sets.
This paper studies the role of outreach and extension activities in building skills among students of higher education institutions through the case study method. Departments which organise outreach, extension, service-learning activities at Madras Christian College, Chennai, have been taken as cases and the feedback from student participants has been presented in the paper.

Author
Dr. R. Belinda, Director of Extension Programmes (Former Head of the Department of Social Work (SFS)), Christian College, Madras, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/PROD.2025.66.01.5