For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Rebecca Trout
Program Director, All-America City Awards
Phone: (303) 571-4343
Email address: [email protected]
Website: www.nationalcivicleague.org
Louisville, KY Named
2022 All-America City Award Winner!
Since 1949, the National Civic League has recognized and celebrated the best in American civic innovation with the prestigious All-America City Award. This year, Louisville showed us how a community can improve prospects for early school success and equitable learning recovery using housing as a platform.
July 21, 2022 - Louisville, KY was recognized today as one of 10 All-America City award winners. The National Civic League, along with co-convener the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, presented this honor to recognize Louisville's commitment to cross-sector collaboration; meaningful partnerships with public housing agencies and affordable-housing organizations; data-based solutions; and equity, including racial equity.

"We are happy to designate Louisville as an All-America City. They showed, even in the face a global pandemic, that they can bring people together to help kids and families thrive.” 

-Doug Linkhart
President, National Civic League

In March, 20 communities were designated finalists for the award based on robust applications around the year’s theme. After months of preparation, the AAC finalists each provided a virtual community presentation to a jury panel from July 19-21, which then selected the 10 winners.

In 2015, the Louisville Metro Housing Authority received a Choice Neighborhoods planning grant for the Beecher Terrace public housing development and the Russell neighborhood. As part of this grant, the People Plan strives to create equitable opportunities where all Russell neighborhood/Beecher Terrace children and families are stable and thriving; where all voices are acknowledged and promoted; and all systems are positively aligned and equally contributing. Multiple AAC areas of focus align with this work, including digital equity, relational supports, transforming non-school places, and parents succeeding in their own journey toward sustainable self-sufficiency. 

"Louisville is meeting families ‘where they are’ through a 24/7/365/multi-generational set of systems, supports and services. In doing so, the community is working to disrupt generational poverty for young learners and their families." 

-Ralph Smith
Managing Director, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading 
About the National Civic League
The National Civic League advances inclusive civic engagement through our community assistance programs, including tools, trainings and facilitation services, our award and recognition programs, and nationally recognized research and publications. We promote efforts that seek to listen to, and to learn from residents in ongoing conversations and leverage those insights to help reshape communities so they will thrive.

The All-America City Award is made possible through the support of Southwest Airlines, the official airline sponsor, The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CGI Digital, MissionSquare Retirement, HealthONE, and Womble Bond Dickinson.
About the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading seeks to disrupt generational poverty and ensure more hopeful futures for children of economically challenged, fragile and otherwise marginalized communities. We support community-driven initiatives to improve the likelihood that these children will grasp the first rung of the success sequence ladder – graduation from high school. Since its launch in 2012, the GLR Communities Network has grown to include more than 350 communities, representing 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and two Canadian provinces — sponsored by 5,200+ local organizations, institutions and agencies and supported by 500+ state and local funders, including 200+ United Ways.