EE in KY & Beyond
EE in Kentucky
Kentucky is one of the national leaders in environmental education and is supported in many ways. The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) is a professional, membership-based nonprofit whose primary role is to serve as the conduit that connects environmental educators throughout Kentucky. KAEE has served as Kentucky's leader in environmental education for 40 years, promoting and influencing environmental education on national and statewide levels each day.
We are one of the few states fortunate to have a state agency dedicated to environmental education, the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC). It was established to improve Kentuckians’ understanding of their environment. Although its major focus is primary and secondary education, the Council also works with colleges and universities, businesses, local governments, private organizations and citizens; in fact, anyone who wishes to help themselves or their students better understand our relationship to the natural world. Their goal is to provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make their own informed decisions about their environment.
Also quite unique to the Commonwealth is the Kentucky College and University Partnership for Environmental Education. The Kentucky University Partnership for Environmental Education (KUPEE) is a partnership of state colleges and universities in Kentucky providing environmental education. KUPEE’s mission is to increase the environmental literacy of all citizens of the Commonwealth through environmental education to assure the protection and sustainable development of Kentucky’s natural and cultural resources.
The KUPEE partnership exists to implement the higher education recommendations of the Kentucky environmental education master plan, Land, Legacy and Learning: Making Education Pay for Kentucky’s Environment. The KUPEE centers promote coordination, collaboration and consistency in environmental education across the state.
The functions of the KUPEE centers include:
providing environmental education to students at state universities and colleges, with special emphasis on the professional development of teachers;
coordinating regional services, including working with other institutions of higher education;
developing environmental programs and curriculum;
conducting environmental education research & program evaluation; and
presenting environmental perspectives and data for the citizenry.
In addition, there are many state and federal agencies and local organizations with an EE focus or program found in Kentucky including the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kentucky Division of Water, USDA Conservation Districts, East KY PRIDE, and Bluegrass Greensource.
EE Beyond Kentucky
The Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA) is a network of state affiliates of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) located in the southeastern region of the U.S. EPA Region 4. The mission of SEEA is to provide southeastern state environmental education associations and their members with valuable networking and communication opportunities that lead to greater success for all. KAEE is an affiliate of SEEA and serves as the fiscal agent. Ashley Hoffman, KAEE's Executive Director, also serves as the Executive Director of SEEA.
For more than four decades, NAAEE has served as the professional association, champion, and backbone organization for the field of environmental education, working with a diverse group of educators in the United States, Canada, and Mexico to advance environmental education. NAAEE audiences include those who reach others, including teachers and naturalists, researchers, conservationists, outdoor educators, scientists and science educators, resource and environmental managers, environmentalists, foundations and corporations, and all who care about how education and engagement can help create a more environmentally informed, committed, and active citizenry. KAEE was the first affiliate of NAAEE.
