On March 12, Mayor Craig Greenberg shared his five-year plan to create a pathway to universal pre-k in Louisville. At the University of Louisville’s Early Learning Campus, Greenberg said that in order to implement the plan — called Thrive by 5 Louisville — a dedicated 501c3 nonprofit, will be established.
“When I took office, I promised the people of Louisville a plan to invest in our children, our workforce and our future through universal pre-k,” Greenberg said, “and today we are delivering on that commitment.”
The plan, led by the Office of Philanthropy, was developed by the Early Learning Action Group. Comprised of 23 early childhood education experts and community members from all over Louisville, the group developed a draft of the three-phase plan over a six month period in 2023.
Operations for the nonprofit organization will be overseen by a Board of Directors. Ashley Novak Butler, Executive Director of the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation, will serve as Board Chair. She said she is “committed to building a collaborative organization that will strengthen Louisville’s existing early learning ecosystem and build the additional resources needed to create access to high quality learning environments for all the children of Louisville.”
This article appears in Mar 13-27, 2024.