Louisville's effort to expand access to early childhood education gets $1.5M boost

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville's early childhood education efforts will get an extra boost in financial support.

On Tuesday, city leaders announced a $1.5 million gift from the James Graham Brown Foundation for the Thrive by 5 program.

The initiative aims to expand access to preschool and early learning programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds in Louisville.

"This grant, we believe, aligns with Mr. Brown's intentions, that we do things to improve the wellbeing of our citizens of Louisville, create pride in our city, and we look for national recognition," said Mason Rummel, with the James Graham Brown Foundation. "This project has all of those ingredients."

In April, Thrive by 5 launched a new pilot program that provides early learning scholarships to cover costs for 225 Louisville families.

"This extraordinary, generous gift is going to help expand high quality early learning experiences for kids all across our city," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said.

Greenberg's proposed city budget has a $3.5 million request to keep supporting the program. The Kentucky Legislature also set aside funding for the Thrive by 5 program.

The mayor launched an Early Learning Action Group in 2023 to come up with a plan to expand access to early childhood learning opportunities. That led to the creation of the Thrive by 5 program an a $5 million investment in the city's 2025 budget.

To learn more about the Thrive by 5 Louisville program, click here.