KAEE 50th Annual Conference

Let's get outdoors on the Legacy Trail and take a journey through time, with just our walking shoes. No flux capacitor needed! This most excellent adventure will connect our personal stories to the history of KEEC and EE. All ages, experience levels, and abilities are welcome. Before we return to the present, we will share our visions for the future, and how we can build on this EE legacy for others. Allons-y!
 

Does the idea of running a community event feel overwhelming? Or are you just looking for ways to make planning easier? Join this session to get tips and tricks on how to plan and manage community events in a way that won’t make you pull your hair out!

Looking back isn’t always clean. It’s layered, imperfect, and often full of lessons we didn’t realize we were learning at the time.


After nine years of building and sustaining the Environmental Education Leadership Corps AmeriCorps program, we’ve gathered insights that go far beyond our specific work- lessons that apply to any program, partnership, or initiative trying to make a lasting impact.


This story-driven session invites participants to learn from our evolution as an inter-organizational program: What worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently if we were starting today.


Together, we’ll explore:
- Why slow, intentional growth can be a program’s greatest strength,
- How to stay realistically optimistic in the face of challenges,
- What it means to find and sustain joy in impact-driven work,
- How to think about long-term member impact beyond service terms,
- And what it really takes to build something that lasts.


This session isn’t just about reflection- it’s about equipping attendees with practical insights they can apply immediately.


Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to:

1. Avoid common early-stage pitfalls
2. Build programs with longevity in mind
3. Center people, not just outputs, in their design
4. Carry lessons forward to strengthen future impact

Explore how The Living Arts & Science Center (LASC) brings environmental education to life both inside and outside the building. This session highlights how LASC integrates sustainability and environmental awareness into its exhibit design, educational spaces, and outreach curriculum. Learn how exhibits serve as platforms for immersive learning. We’ll also share how these concepts extend beyond our walls through traveling programs, outdoor classrooms, and garden-based education.

As environmental educators, we are driven by a powerful sense of purpose. But how do you know your work is making a difference? And how do you communicate that funders, community members, and your team?
 
This workshop explores tracking impact, starting with the big question: why? We'll examine how evaluation practices help you stay mission-focused, engage funders, and share your story in a way that resonates. We'll share methods for gathering and synthesizing evidence, taking stock of data you are already collecting. Guided peer conversations and hands-on activities will strengthen your use of tools like logic models and strategic plans. 
 
Participants will leave with:
 

• A stronger understanding of why and how to track mission-driven impact
• Familiarity with multiple methods for measuring and communicating results
• Hands-on experience with strategy and evaluation tools like logic models
• Connections with peers navigating similar challenges

Creating and maintaining a good partnership across organizations is deceptively difficult. Different goals, staff changes, scheduling limitations, budget stresses, organizational policies, poor communication, calendar conflicts, shifting priorities and any number of other factors can lead to partnerships falling flat - or worse. This session will use the ongoing and growing relationship between Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and Living Arts and Science Center as a case study for building a lasting, flexible partnership. The session will walk participants through a framework for establishing and maintaining effective organizational partnerships with examples and non-examples provided.