Ways in which a teaching and research program can help train agricultural extension staff in information and communication are presented. Teaching provides the resources of materials, techniques, and teachers themselves. Research provides results concerning the analysis of communication problems, audience information, the efficiency and effectiveness of media services, and the form of messages. Three assumptions are made about the ideal organization of information training activities: (1) there is central administrative control and direction over the information, training, and teaching functions; (2) staff members who are training have joint appointments in information offices; and (3) communication pathways between cooperating units are direct, not via administrative hierarchies. Research can aid training through: (1) researching trainees to find out their information abilities and habits and what they want in training; (2) research of agents' use of mass media; and (3) audience understanding of technical terms. A teaching program aids training through the ready-to-use materials, methods, and teachers it provides. It is recommended that the AAACE invest in a centralized accumulation of existing training materials from all states. (KM)