About 450 UI Extension employees might lose their jobs

Back when Penny Gioja and her husband were an "impoverished" graduate student family, a University of Illinois Extension specialist in food and nutrition joined Gioja in the kitchen to show her how to can green beans for a lesson in preparing economical meals.

That was Gioja's first experience with Extension. Years later, the Giojas' children, all nine of them, have been involved in Extension and one of its many programs, 4-H. The children have honed public speaking skills, learned about tractor and lawn mower safety, raised animals, and much more, Gioja said.

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