The Courier-Journal

The Backside Learning Center, which offers educational, social and family-support services to nearly 1,000 workers on the backside of Churchill Downs Racetrack, is now officially operating as an independent 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization.

Since its founding in 2004, the BLC had operated under the wing of the Kentucky Derby Museum, with additional support from the racetrack.

In a release announcing the new status, the center said it has "grown from its initial vision as a lending library and place for English language instruction to a thriving center that provides educational opportunities, assistance in navigating, and accessing local resources and creating a sense of community for not only employees who work on the backside but their families as well, especially children."

The new nonprofit status will allow the learning center to seek grant and donor support.

“Since it was first founded, the Backside Learning Center’s goal was to one day operate as its own independent entity. We, at the Museum, are proud to have been a vital part of the BLC’s development and are pleased to see it achieve this milestone,” said Patrick Armstrong, president of the Kentucky Derby Museum.

The building that houses the Backside Learning Center originally functioned as the track’s racing offices. Churchill Downs provided the facility and covered its maintenance under an agreement that will continue into the future.

The Backside Learning Center has become an important part of the lives of those who live and work in the track's stable area, said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack.