JUSTICEFEST EVENT TO BE STREAMED ON YOUTUBE
May 20, 2021 Louisville, KY. – Students from Jefferson County Public Schools will share their ideas to solve community-wide issues this Saturday at the inaugural Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation JusticeFest Presented by Churchill Downs and Humana. The event is the first phase of the Derby Equity and Community Initiative launched this year by the Derby Festival, Churchill Downs and Humana.
“This educational program is one of a kind,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “We’ve been inspired by all the students and how they are approaching community issues with the projects they are presenting. We hope the community will join us in supporting their efforts.”
JusticeFest is the celebration and culmination of projects and collaborative work done by JCPS students in 3rd through 12th grades, along with their teachers and coaches, as a part of the new Justice Now learning hubs at JCPS. Justice Now was launched in January of this year and is a year-round initiative.
“The courthouse is not the only place that justice should be served. The schoolhouse is the place that justice must be taught,” said Dr. John Marshall, Chief Equity Officer for Jefferson County Public Schools. “Our students continue to be problem solvers and are driven to find solutions. That’s why we need Justice Now, and why JusticeFest is so important.”
The students are focusing on 4 key cohorts as part of Justice Now and JusticeFest, which include:
1. Acceptance and Equal Rights for all People
2. Environmental Justice
3. Educational Justice
4. Community Investment/Disinvestment
This Saturday, the students will address issues on homelessness, trash disposal concerns, inclusiveness, and historical content from diverse communities. 18 different groups will present their concepts to panelists including community and business leaders, as well as teachers, advisers,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.
While the event is not open to the public, it will be streamed live beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 22nd for those who want to watch via https://kdf.org/watchjusticefest.
The 2021 JusticeFest is Presented by Churchill Downs and Humana, along with Kindred Healthcare, Official Audio Video Partner Prestige AV & Creative Services and Media Partners 99.7 DJX and B96.5 FM. The event is produced in partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools and is a Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation event.
About the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation
The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, a 501 (C) 3 not-for-profit charity, receives and manages charitable contributions on behalf of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., its supporters and the general public. The Foundation perpetuates the Festival’s impact on the community by developing projects that highlight the Festival’s influence on the area’s cultural heritage. It works to further the Festival’s educational and charitable mission through exhibitions and performances.
