February 27, 2026. Louisville, KY.– Students from Jefferson County Public Schools will be in the spotlight sharing their ideas on ways to solve community-wide issues this Saturday, Feb. 28, at the sixth annual Park Community Credit Union JusticeFest. JusticeFest, a Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation event, showcases projects and collaborative work done by JCPS students from elementary to high school, along with their teachers and coaches. They address a variety of concerns, including food access, playground inclusiveness, mental health, digital divides and historical content from diverse communities.
“The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation was created to carry the Festival’s impact beyond the spring celebration,” said Dodie Howlett, Executive Director of the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation. “JusticeFest gives students the opportunity to share their ideas, connect with community leaders and see that they can make a difference right here in Louisville.”
JusticeFest is one of the educational programs supported by the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation. Along with the STEM Robotics Competition and the Derby Festival Royal Court Program, it supports meaningful learning experiences that connect students with their community throughout the year.
JusticeFest is part of an immersive learning program called Justice Now at JCPS. Justice Now was launched in January 2021 and challenges students to make Louisville their classroom and Justice their curriculum. The students focus on four key cohorts as part of Justice Now and JusticeFest, which include: Acceptance and Equal Rights for all People; Environmental Justice; Educational Justice; and Community Investment/Disinvestment.
On Saturday, 15 different student groups will present their concepts to panelists, including community and business leaders, as well as teachers, advisers, mentors, and other professionals. The panelists have been chosen based on their expertise and will provide the students with mentorship, insights, and ideas to help further their work.
COVERAGE NOTE: The 2026 JusticeFest will be held at the Muhammad Ali Center. The event is not open to the public. Media are invited to attend for news coverage. The best time to cover the event is during the Opening Program from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. or the Luncheon Program from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. To coordinate, please contact the KDF Press Office: Aimee Boyd at (502) 741-7442 or aboyd@kdf.org or Christa Ritchie at (502) 468-6831 or critchie@kdf.org
JusticeFest is sponsored by Park Community Credit Union. Contributing Sponsor: Ford Philanthropy. Supporting Sponsors: The D’Angelo Russell Foundation, Muhammad Ali Center and Norton Children’s. The event is produced in partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools and is a Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation event.
