Community Design Internship Impacts
Community Impact through Design
Blueprint Kentucky and Landscape Architecture Summer Design Internships immerse a cohort of multidisciplinary interns into rural communities to develop projects and recommendations based on that community’s specific needs. Interns deep dive to identify and understand the local character and needs, engaging with community, while working collaboratively in an environment that mimics professional practice.
By the numbers...
10
Communities Served
2018 – Manchester (Clay), 2019 – Harlan & Jenkins (Harlan and Letcher), 2020-2021 – Winchester (Clark), 2022 – Flemingsburg & Irvine (Fleming and Estill), 2023 – Fulton & Mayfield (Fulton and Graves), 2024 – Maysville (Mason), 2025 – Bedford (Trimble)
1
National Award (NACDEP)
National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) National Innovation and Creativity Award for work conducted at the Winchester Design Studio in in 2021 as a response to COVID (Sidewalk Subway Concept)
38
Student Fellows
53% M-G CAFE | 32% College of Design | 3% College of Fine Arts | 3% College of A&S | 9% Other KY Institutions
2
Kentucky ASLA Merit Awards
Fellows that completed summer design programs in Harlan and Maysville received merit awards in 2020 and 2024 for the quality of their work (American Society of Landscape Architects). ASLA defines recipients of the merit award as projects that display good design and characterize environmental responsibility.
7
Comprehensive Community Design Plans
Larger scale projects: Public space development, Developing green spaces, Walkability design | Smaller scale projects: Public art installations, Wayfinding strategies, Building façade clean up
One Project:
Three Phases
Seven Years of Impacts
ARC POWER Grant - KY Promise Zone
2018 - Manchester (Clay)
2019 - Harlan (Harlan) & Jenkins (Letcher)
Winchester Design Studio
2020-2021 - Winchester (Clark)
USDA Workforce Grant - Research Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) program
2022 - Flemingsburg (Fleming) & Irvine (Estill)
2023 - Fulton (Fulton) & Mayfield (Graves)
2024 - Maysville (Mason)
2025 - Bedford (Trimble)
In their own words...
Community Design Interns say they gained valuable skills in community engagement, design brainstorming and project management. They also learned the importance of working on real-world projects that positively impact lives.
By combining the visionary designs of the landscape architects with the knowledgeable and respectful perspective of a historian, the realistic outlook of an economist, the passion of an environmentalist and my community-based approach, we were able to develop a plan that not only met the expressed needs of the community, but also allows Maysville to dream big!”
Keaton Sant Community and Leadership Development junior
It was a great opportunity to get out and practice in the real world, in a real scenario. In class, we’re often given projects about places we have no real connection to, but this time we started by actually going to Trimble County, talking to folks, learning what they thought, what they wanted, and what they needed. That hands-on engagement, seeing the place for ourselves and then moving into the research phase, gave me a much deeper connection to the work.”
Ben Wolff UK Landscape Architecture junior
Community Design Internship Summaries
For more in-depth information about the engagement and design processes our interns completed in each participating community, click on the link below.
Community Design Internship EffortsDesign Assistance
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