Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Our primary goal is to create an undergraduate certificate in Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) at
the University of Kentucky that is broad in scope, appealing to students with a wide range of
interests, and addressing a gap in student exposure to and career opportunities in urban and
community forestry. The UCF Certificate will include pathways addressing 1) trees and tree health,
2) green infrastructure, planning, and design, 3) environmental education, and 4) human health and
wellness. Students will be provided with a broad view of the central role that trees play for human
populations in urban areas with respect to aesthetics, ecosystem services, education, and health.
Completion of the certificate will help prepare students for careers that promote human
interactions with urban trees.
Cornerstones of the UCF Certificate include two new courses: an introductory Foundations course
that exposes students to each pathway and its relevance, and an upper level Capstone-Internship
experience where students will demonstrate their understanding of how these pathways are blended in
urban and community forestry to promote sustainability in urban ecosystems and in urban
populations. The introductory course will ensure that all students have a core understanding of a
broad range of urban and community forestry content and gain exposure to careers in these fields.
The required coursework for each of the four pathways will be flexible and will draw from existing
curricula in a broad range of departments across several colleges in the university. The capstone
course will revolve around internships with professionals in fields that relate to urban and
community forestry, and will provide exposure to relevant careers and associated opportunities. An
additional aspect of the capstone course is an invitation to the stakeholders and the public to
see presentations of the students’ projects.
To facilitate this program, we plan to fund a program coordinator and a part-time course
instructor. The program coordinator will design and instruct the introductory course, recruit
students to the certificate, coordinate the capstone course/student internships, and lead the Urban
and Community Forestry Certificate planning committee. The part-time instructor will assist the
program coordinator with the design and instruction of the introductory course and assist in the
instruction of the core class,
Landscape Management and Arboriculture.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 4/1/18 → 9/30/22 |
Funding
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture: $150,000.00
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