ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., Sept. 25, 2023 – The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education has received a $526,500 Urban and Community Forestry Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to be spent over the next five years.
The grant will be used to prioritize the needs of Kentucky’s most disadvantaged communities by engaging students in green career exploration and experiential learning, increasing urban tree canopy in disadvantaged communities and enhancing educators’ understanding through professional development. These activities will improve access to urban tree canopy, engage communities in forestry initiatives, and enhance community resilience to climate change.
KAEE plans to achieve this through three strategies. In strategy one, the project focuses on fostering green career exploration and experiential learning for Kentucky students interested in sustainability and environmental stewardship. PreK through 12 schools will be encouraged to participate in the Kentucky Green Schools program, or KGS, which aims to increase sustainability, and sustainability education, within schools. Sub-grants will be awarded to schools in disadvantaged communities to support initiatives related to climate literacy, resilience, and tree canopy coverage within school grounds through KGS. The program also will include a Student Leadership Clinic, mentorship from corporate, government and industry professionals and student internship opportunities in green careers.
Strategy two focuses on expanding urban tree canopy and climate resilience initiatives in disadvantaged communities. The project will prioritize community-based efforts, offering subgrants to support projects that promote climate literacy, resilience and urban greening.
Strategy three centers on enhancing educators’ understanding of climate literacy, green jobs and urban forestry through professional development. The project will offer workshops for formal and informal educators, covering topics such as climate literacy, green jobs and urban forestry. Equipping educators with knowledge and resources on these critical topics enables them to educate students about environmental issues and encourages informed decision-making to address them.
To learn more about Urban and Community Forestry Grants, visit fs.usda.gov.
