The Minnesota Extension Service sought to have adult learners provide local leadership for establishing educational priorities as well as to have them become actively involved in the organizational change and program-planning process. Because it was found that many citizens are unprepared for such leadership roles, the extension service developed a program to educate adults for extension education leadership. The program provided training in needed knowledge and skills, opportunities for significant leadership roles, and reinforcement and recognition for assuming leadership. Thus far, the change in the way in which the extension program is operated has been progressing smoothly, and community involvement has increased in extent and quality. The increased citizen involvement in extension activities that has resulted from the leadership training has had significant effects on the state's extension program. In some counties, the community members who have joined county extension committees are urging the professional staff to accept the concept of clustering county committees into groups and to take a more cooperative approach. It is also believed that citizen participation has been an important factor in the extension program's movement from a university subject matter emphasis to an issue emphasis. The leadership training, although designed to make adults assume a more active leadership role within the extension program, has also appeared to encourage many program participants to become more involved in other community activities as well. (MN)