As we celebrate our 40th year as Kentucky’s independent voice for kids, we take the first step into our next 40 years. Today, at our annual breakfast, we announced Kentucky Youth Advocates’ brand refresh. As we advocate for policies that give children the best possible opportunities for a brighter future, we continue to move forward with our strong vision – to make Kentucky the best place in America to be a kid.

A special thank you to Kosair Charities® for being a presenting sponsor for today’s event.

Watch our new video below to see how KYA is a loud voice, a uniting voice, and the independent voice for kids in Frankfort.

During our breakfast, we also had the opportunity to recognize two exceptional advocates, Lynn Rippy and Pastor Edward Palmer, with the Courage for Kids award. Lynn is the Executive Director at YouthBuild Louisville, a non-profit organization which provides education, counseling and job skills to unemployed young adults. Her work has provided many Louisville-area at-risk youth with skills and experiences that help advance their personal and professional endeavors. Lynn served as KYA’s board chair and member from 1998 to 2008.

As chair of the Subcommittee on Equity and Justice for All Youth, Pastor Palmer has led efforts to address disparities by race in Kentucky’s juvenile justice system. He has conducted numerous trainings across the state on implicit bias and the importance of ensuring agency policies and practices don’t have a different impact for youth of color.

On behalf of KYA, we commend them both for taking action on behalf of Kentucky kids. Their insight and expertise in helping youth reach their full potential is invaluable.

Thank you to the many advocates, families, and friends who joined with us at the annual event. Kentucky kids are counting on all of us to enact data-driven, research-based solutions and policies that will make the next 40 years better than the last. We invite you to take this journey with us!

If you missed our annual breakfast, but still want to help us continue to be the independent voice for Kentucky’s kids, make a gift today.