KAEE 50th Annual Conference

For almost 20 years, the City of Frankfort Parks and Recreation Department has brought the community together for Reforest Frankfort, an annual event that allows participants to contribute to Frankfort’s tree canopy and experience hands-on environmental education. The success of this program stems from the department’s collaboration with community and government agencies to provide the community with local, relevant, and impactful environment engagement. Hear from Frankfort officials about how to implement a successful community-based environmental education program in the form of a community event. Participants will be given a guide for creating their own program in their community.

This presentation charts 35 years of lessons learned from research and practice about how to assemble coalitions that support young people’s connection to nature and participation in civic action. It begins with two projects for the Kentucky Oral History Commission which indicated that connecting to local nature and places in childhood can motivate lives of committed care for the environment. This insight raises the question: How can we create effective coalitions of researchers, local governments, schools, and community organizations to ensure that young people have access to local community resources, including nearby nature, as well as a role in their conservation and enhancement? It shares practical experiences gained through the international Growing Up in Cities Program of UNESCO, the Growing Up Boulder initiative in Colorado, and an informal alliance, KINship (Kids in Nature), that works to ensure equitable access to nature for all city residents.  

Options for how to do our work are nearly unlimited. Resources to do it aren’t. This presentation focuses on ways LFUCG’s Public Information and Engagement Section has engaged non-staff folks to further the reach of our efforts. By thoughtfully investing time and resources in small groups of allies, the Education and Community Teams have achieved long-lasting benefits that outweigh the direct costs.  Danny Woolums will discuss ways the Education Team empowers teachers to create and lead lessons on their own, primarily through the Teachers’ Environmental Academy but also through modeling lessons and classroom kits. Alana Insko-Kelley will share how the Community Environmental Academy has evolved to deeply engage interested residents in local government through outreach, advocacy and service. 

Learn how the Bluegrass Greensource team designed engaging energy education programs for audiences from preschool through adulthood while fostering meaningful partnerships with community leaders and local officials.
This session highlights four components of community energy education: introducing energy concepts to preschool teachers, students, and families; expanding elementary student understanding of energy sources and energy types; reducing barriers to energy efficiency for low-income and underserved communities with energy efficiency workshops; and collaborating with community leaders, organizations, and agencies through the Central Kentucky Energy Forums program.