[ View Opportunities ] Last updated on May 17, 2005 Bluegrass PRIDE's mission is to provide resources to educate and empower the communities and individuals of Central Kentucky to improve their quality of life by improving the quality of their environment. Description: Bluegrass PRIDE Program Summaries Community Grant Program Through Community Grants, Bluegrass PRIDE assists local governments and nonprofit groups in positively impacting their local environment. Grants up to $20,000 are awarded to support innovative programs that will result in a safer, cleaner, healthier environment. Community Grants are available for the cleanup and restoration of illegal dumpsites, recycling programs, aquatic resource and habitat restoration, and other projects that are determined to be feasible and necessary to assist PRIDE in abating local environmental issues. To date, PRIDE has granted over $535,000 for community environmental programs. Education Grant Program Promotion and advancement of environmental education through the elementary, secondary and post-secondary education systems of the region is critical if PRIDE and its goals are to succeed. Grants, up to $3,000, are awarded to schools, teachers, groups of teachers and other nonprofit education groups for the advancement of environmental education projects. Examples of these projects include expansion or establishment of outdoor classrooms, water quality testing, school recycling and/or compost programs, computer-based environmental education activities, and wetlands studies. To date, PRIDE has granted over $120,000 for environmental education programs in Central Kentucky. Educator Workshop Grant Grants up to $2,000 are available to help fund environmentally focused educator workshops. This grant allows facilitators to purchase materials, lesson plan books, giveaways and lunch for up to 30 teachers. It also allows money for meeting space. To date, PRIDE has granted nearly $24,000 to support educator workshops. Outreach Bluegrass PRIDE works to inform citizens, including school-age children, about their impact on the environment and the subsequent consequences. Through activities, meetings, conferences, videos, workshops, and educational publications and displays, Bluegrass PRIDE informs the public about the hazards and environmental harm that comes from illegal dumping, poor litter disposal practices, raw sewage disposal, and abuse of natural resources. PRIDE focuses on local problems and solutions, aiming to change attitudes and behavior through education. PRIDE campaigns include PRIDE in the Schools Month, Household Hazardous Waste Month, Watch Your Waste Line (waste reduction), Spring Cleanup, Weather Matters Month (water quality), and Love Your Lawn (environmentally responsible lawn care). PRIDE also publishes StreamLine, a community newsletter, three times a year and the Truffula Times, a newsletter for educators, twice a year. To date, PRIDE has spent over $270,000 directly on outreach programs. History: Bluegrass PRIDE was announced in November of 2001 by then Congressman Ernie Fletcher and the late Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet Secretary James Bickford. In January of 2002, an Executive Director was hired and began implementing programs. PRIDE has been historically funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through congressional earmarks. When Congressman Ben Chandler took office in 2004, he pledged to continue to support PRIDE and our missions. Unfortunately, for fiscal year 2005, PRIDE was unable to secure funding. PRIDE has stepped up its fundraising efforts and hopes to regain funding next year. Contact people: Amy Sohner, Deputy Director, (859) 266-1572, (email this person) Anglea Dossett, Executive Director, (email this person) Office fax number: (859) 266-0264 Address: P.O. Box 910384 Lexington, KY 40591 Web Site: http://www.kentuckypride.com Directions: Bluegrass PRIDE is located in the Chinoe Shopping center on Chinoe Road in Lexington. Our physical address is 1050 Chinoe Rd. Suite 302. From New Circle Road, take the Alumni Drive exit and turn towards downtown Lexington.. . . (more) Be the first person to offer feedback on this agency! Post a volunteer reflection to share your experiences with other volunteers!   Description Add to Favorites Add Reflection Email to Friend Printer Version Opportunities

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