The Department of Landscape Architecture and the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) received a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a project titled “To Support Integration of Creative Placemaking into Cooperative Extension Programming: a Knowledge Building Project.” The project aims to enhance the Cooperative Extension Service's capacity to support community investments that strengthen livability through creative placemaking. Jayoung Koo, associate extension professor, and Melissa Bond, arts extension program leader, have led the UK project team while partnering with the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) to expand Kentucky's extension fine arts and placemaking programming practices across the country. 

In December 2020, the team presented the second phase of the project, Extension Creative Placemaking Toolkit activities, during the Wednesday Webinar series to the NACDEP audience. Five activities were selected from the comprehensive toolkit which includes 13 activities based on evidence from Kentucky Arts Extension programming, UK Landscape Architecture community design projects, and CEDIK’s community engagement activities. The toolkit is intended for Cooperative Extension personnel nationwide to utilize whether through direct programming or collaborations with allied partners. The webinar was well-received, with all attendees requesting a copy of the toolkit once it is published. The final toolkit will be published, distributed, and launched by Winter 2021.