Grants and Programs

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Click here for complete list of funded programs.

 WKU-Habitat for Humanity Green Infrastructure Statewide Demonstraton-The CEES has been awarded a 3-year $655,000 grant 319(h) nonpoint source (NPS) pollution grant from the Kentucky Division of Water. WKU will work with the local and state Habitat for Humanity (HFH) and other partners to create an integrated green infrastructure at a 16-acre site owned by Habitat for Humanity called Durbin Estates. The project will demonstrate low impact development (LID) techniques that absorb, filter, and reuse storm and rainwater and can be broadly replicated. Other goals are to provide community education and professional training in NPS pollution and LID techniques, involve residents and the community in the project to build a shared sense of stewardship, and seek green infrastructure policy revisions for KY HFH and the state.

 Learn & Serve- Western Kentucky University's Center for Environmental Educations and Sustainability is leading a three-year, $1.57 million project to integrate service learning into environmental education programs in Kentucky. The Kentucky University Partnership in Environmental Education (KUPEE) Energy Initiative was one of 18 Learn and Serve America grants awarded by the Corporation for national and community Service and one of only five that involves a consortium of universities. WKU and the other universities will incorporate service learning into their teacher education programs, specifically course that are port of their environmental education endorsement. The project will engage about 360 college students and 4,000 elementary and secondary school students in high-quality service-learning projects that meet local needs. Funded 2009-2011, ($1,540,000).

 GM Green- General Motors has established partnerships with organizations that promote education in the areas of math, science and technology. Students from selected schools will be visiting a local stream and doing a water quality inventory. This will be done with assistance from the WKU Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability, along with mentors from the Corvette Plant. Data from the inventories will then be analyzed back at school and students will discuss potential problems and causes. Funded 2011, $2,000; 2010, $1,500; 2007-2050, $2,000; 2006-2007, $2,000. (GM.com)

 Change Over Time- A grant from the Council on Post secondary Education has helped support participants for two years in a week-long summer institute that includes educators from both the Western Kentucky University and Murray State University serves regions. This popular residential experience has been offered annually for over 25 years. The workshop uses much of the 170,000 acres at LBL as an outdoor learning laboratory. Daytime and evening activities focus on increasing teachers' understanding of both the natural and cultural world, with an emphasis on how to translate that knowledge and appreciation to preK-12 students. It emphasize on instructional strategies appropriate for all facets of the school curriculum, including science, social studies, math, languages arts, fine arts, health, physical education, business education, and family consumer science. Funded 2008-2009, ($56,547); 2007-2008, ($54,065).

 The River Institute- Creating Educational Partnerships in the Green and Tradewater River Basins- WKU's goal for this project is to involve citizens in the Green and Tradewater River basins in educational efforts aimed at increasing their involvement in the protection of their watershed. The design of the institutes provided the participants with a variety of direct hands-on experiences which focused on the concepts of watersheds, nonpoint source pollution, and best management practices. The participants where teachers (grades 4-12) and citizen representatives that reside in the teachers' school districts. The Center developed and implemented five one-week summer institutes and four one-day workshops. Funded 2001-2005, ($306,889).

 Engaging Students for Environmental Change - An agreement between the Education Cabinet, KEEC, and Western Kentucky University Research Foundation, Inc. is to implement the Earth Force Model of environmental education. This model involves students in environmental discovery projects, and then asks them to apply their finds to a community environmental improvement project. This required faculty from the K-12 partner schools and the KUPEE centers to a special training led by Earth Force. Each center was to mentor at least three local K-12 schools, using the new Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools program as a delivery mechanism for the Earth Force Model. After identifying, researching and finding an alternative solution for the environmental issue, the students representative attended a Youth Environmental Summit, in which students present their findings as well as the results of improvement projects, to policy makers, teachers, other students and the media. 

The Comprehensive Commonwealth Water Education Project - Develop media products and a series of public service announcements directed to TV, radio and print media. Funded 2003-2006 ($106,008).

 Education for Sustainability - Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) has been directed to establish and help coordinate the activities of regional environmental education centers and advisory committees at all state universities to serve as networks for the dissemination of environmental education programs, materials, and information across the state. KEEC believes the best way to accomplish this and to implement the higher education portion of the state environmental education master plan is by distributing PRIDE funds to the environmental education centers at the eight state universities. Therefore, the Center agreed to provide three schools with a focused, job-imbedded professional development experiences, as well as a new development initiative for preservice teacher candidates. Both aspects of this project will result in teacher improvement, increased student learning and sustainable environmental education projects. Funded 2006-2008 ($111,798).