Kentucky State University partners with Louisville Grows for environmental training programs
The new partnership will instruct adults in Louisville’s West End in skills in conservation, agriculture, urban forestry, and more, that will both improve their community and potentially prepare them for careers.
Kentucky State University has partnered with Louisville Grows, a nonprofit organization that has planted more than 8,000 trees in the past 16 years, to help improve the environment of Louisville’s West End, while also working to train adults in urban forestry, conservations, agriculture, and other environmental skills that could make an individual employable in green jobs.
According to an article on Kentucky State University’s website, Jody Thompson, who serves as the university’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Program Leader, was quoted as saying of the partnership, “Louisville Grows has built a strong foundation for community-driven environmental progress. By joining forces, we can extend the University’s land-grant mission into Louisville’s neighborhoods, ensuring adults gain the skills needed for meaningful careers while communities benefit from stronger food systems and resilient landscapes.”
The collaboration comes from the university’s Cooperative Extension teams in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources who will work with team members from Louisville Grows to deliver agricultural education to adults in the area. This workforce education will prepare individuals to work in sustainable, green careers. Individuals who sign up for the training will receive both classroom instruction and fieldwork that will give them hands-on practice in soil restoration, community agriculture, tree planting, greenhouse management, and more.
In addition to teaching adults marketable skills that can help them find careers in the agricultural industry, the partnership will also, more broadly, help improve the community through planting more trees, improving the health of the area’s soil, and the presence of more green spaces. Dr. Suraj Upadhaya, who serves as the assistant professor of sustainable systems at Kentucky State University, said, “From restoring the city’s tree canopy to advancing horticulture and building food security, this partnership connects local needs with statewide expertise. Our goal is to prepare job-ready adults while creating measurable community impact.”
Alethea Bernard, co-principal investigator at Kentucky State University, echoed these sentiments, saying, “This initiative is about opportunity for adults who want to retool their skills and find meaningful work. When training connects directly to community needs, it strengthens both participants and neighborhoods.”
For more information about Kentucky State University, visit the school’s website.