By Luke Ramsay, CEDIK Economic Development Extension Specialist The Business Retention and Expansion Program (BRE) is….a mouthful. However, when it’s boiled down to its most basic components, BRE is a way for communities to engage their businesses in an approach that leads to growth and stability. Simple as that. Usually, we think about BRE as …
By Su Troske and Sookti Chaudhary Emergency care for an individual often begins when Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and/or Paramedics arrive in an ambulance. Communities must find a way to provide this essential service to their residents. Federal legislation has allowed communities flexibility in determining who provides ambulance services. We define 5 models, or ownership …
By Mercedes Maness It’s a New Year, is your community looking for a new perspective? The First Impressions program is all about gaining a new viewpoint. First Impressions Program understands the importance of fresh eyes on a project. First-time visitors are an underused resource in determining the strengths and weaknesses of a community. Trained …
By Shane Barton, Downtown Revitalization Coordinator On Tuesday, March 6th Promise Zone Downtown Revitalization partners and stakeholders came together for the Winter 2018 quarterly convening hosted in Barbourville at the Knox County Extension Office. This convening follows the previous one hosted in Harlan, KY and again provided a dedicated space and time for downtown collaboration … Continue reading
By Shane Barton, Downtown Revitalization Coordinator On Thursday, December 7th in Harlan, KY, the CEDIK Promise Zone Downtown Revitalization project hosted our quarterly convening of downtown stakeholders engaged in downtown revitalization efforts funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. These scheduled convenings provide a dedicated space and time for our downtown stakeholders and partner organizations to … Continue reading
By Ryan Sandwick, CEDIK Community Design Specialist There is no better way to learn about a community than to immerse yourself in it, and this weekend CEDIK’s Community Design/Downtown Engagement team did just that in Whitesburg, Kentucky. If you were in Whitesburg you may have seen us there with our portable chalkboards and wondered what … Continue reading
By Simona Balazs, CEDIK Research Director Research increasingly supports the importance of food in learning. When children do not have access to food, they are unable to reach their full potential. Children who have limited access to food and experience hunger on a regular basis, lag in academic performance behind their peers in school and … Continue reading
Early in June, members of the CEDIK team presented on research and outreach outcomes at the joint conference of the Community Development Society, CDS, and the National Association for Community Development Extension Professionals, NACDEP. The “BIG Skies, BOLD Partnerships; Moving Mountains Together” Conference united two community development associations to engage 300 participants to sharing, learning, … Continue reading
By Mercedes Maness, CEDIK Extension Intern The Youth Engagement Leadership Program (YELP) is a highly adaptable curriculum that has been introduced to rural and urban youth across the Commonwealth. In the case of the fifth grade students at William Wells Brown Elementary School, located in Lexington, Kentucky, they got a full day immersion into the … Continue reading
By Lori Garkovich, Professor, Department of Community and Leadership Development Jim Kirby, environmental scientist in the Division of Waste Management (Superfund Branch) and Amanda LeFevre, Assistant Director of the Division of Compliance Assistance are both in the Department for Environmental Protection (KDEP). They have an important message for Kentucky communities seeking to revitalize their local … Continue reading
