Applications open for DowntownBGKY ambassadors academy

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — Western Kentucky University students can now apply for the 2026-27 DowntownBGKY Ambassadors Academy, an eight-month leadership program designed to connect them with the people and organizations shaping Bowling Green.

The academy will accept between 20 and 25 undergraduate students. Applications close Sept. 7 at 11:59 p.m. Central time, with orientation scheduled for Sept. 30.

More time for student projects

Organizers are starting the academy one month earlier this year after students in the first cohort had limited time to finish their capstone service projects.

“We had them tour downtown and start in the fall semester, and then do the capstone the last two months of spring semester,” Downtown Development Coordinator Telia Butler said. “And because of their finals and all of their stuff to prepare for the end of the school year, we felt it was too rushed.”

This time, students will begin discussing project ideas during the September kickoff. The goal is to have plans in place by the end of the fall semester, leaving the spring for completing the work.

“That was the really big change, like adding that extra month and starting them on their project a lot earlier,” Butler said.

A connection beyond campus

Throughout the program, students will visit downtown businesses, public offices and community organizations. Butler said those experiences can introduce them to a side of Bowling Green they may not see through everyday campus life.

“So we know campus, it can be a bubble,” Butler said. “You’ve got everything you need for eating, drinking, sleeping, school, living all on campus. But there is a whole other community just down the street in downtown. We’ve wanted students to know that they were welcome.”

Those connections may lead to part-time jobs, internships or volunteer opportunities. They can also help students find new places to spend time and feel more at home in the city.

“Connecting them in person to all of our major downtown venues and all of our business partners gives them that feeling that they are a part of something, because everybody wants to be a part of the neighborhood, a part of the community, and they’re already active in campus life,” Butler said.

New topics added this year

The academy will continue exploring local government, arts and culture, professional development, small business and economic development.

Students will take part in another mock Bowling Green City Commission meeting and visit the Warren County Justice Center and Fiscal Court.

New sessions will focus on tourism, hospitality and education. Tourism representatives will explain how Bowling Green works with visitors, while local school officials will discuss the city and county school systems.

“They’re familiar with the collegiate side of education in Bowling Green, but they may not understand how our city and county schools work,” Butler said.

Building skills for life after college

Career preparation is also part of the program. Students will work on résumés and LinkedIn profiles and practice job interviews with local business owners.

“So you get that experience of what it’s like applying for a job and meeting someone in person to interview for it,” Butler said.

The academy is open to WKU undergraduate students of any major or academic classification. Participants must be at least 18 by Sept. 30.

Students are expected to attend the academy’s daylong sessions, participate in site visits and complete work outside the scheduled meetings for their capstone project. Some sessions may conflict with classes, although the academy will provide documentation for students to share with their instructors.

“We are here to help you fine tune all of those skills you’re going to need when you get out of college and look for your career,” Butler said. “And maybe through all of the new connections you make in the academy, there is a career waiting for you in Bowling Green, or at least a job right after college.”

The program will conclude with a capstone showcase and graduation April 2.