Are communities better off because of the efforts of higher education? Extension educators have extended universitybased research and technologies that have helped create strong, natural resource–based communities. However, the political and socioeconomic environments in which these communities function are changing even faster than the natural environments. Extension educators boast about being change agents, but are they themselves changing? A team of campus/county-based extension faculty transformed themselves from academic experts into colearners who worked with the practice community and the science/management community to address three critical issues: industry transformation, deteriorating relationships between communities, and improving science through cooperative research. One example highlights the importance of involving the impacted community as an equal partner in designing and implementing a federally declared fisheries disaster program. Another illustrates the benefits of two innovative venues for improving science and relationships between practitioners and scientists.