West Kentucky Educational Cooperative

The West Kentucky Educational Cooperative (WKEC) is a U.S. government entity based in Kentucky that provides educational services and training programs to local school districts. As indicated by its award history, WKEC specializes in implementing school safety initiatives, mental health support, and violence prevention strategies across multiple rural districts in western Kentucky.

Over the past few years, WKEC has been awarded several significant federal grants to deliver comprehensive school safety and mental health programs in partnership with the Department of Justice and Department of Education. A $1 million grant from the DOJ's STOP School Violence Program will allow WKEC to provide training on trauma-informed care and threat assessment to school staff, implement a mental health counseling program, and deploy a mobile app for students to anonymously request support across six rural districts impacted by high poverty rates. Another $999,845 DOJ grant aims to build resilience and connect students, educators, and families in 11 tornado-impacted districts through services like behavioral threat assessment training, positive interventions, mentoring, and a threat reporting platform. WKEC has also received over $1.2 million from the Department of Education to establish a mental health support academy in partnership with Murray State University. Additionally, WKEC has served as a sub-grantee under the CDC's COVID-19 health disparities initiative, working with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services on related efforts.