OUR MISSION
The Backside Learning Canter is a nonprofit organization building community and enriching the lives of backside workers and families at Churchill Downs.
The Backside Learning Canter is a nonprofit organization building community and enriching the lives of backside workers and families at Churchill Downs.
Our doors first opened in June of 2004 when a few visionaries within the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs identified the need to provide educational opportunities and resources to backside workers.
Thanks to generosity of local Thoroughbred owners, we launched the renovation of an old racing office on the backside to become the learning center’s new home. In 2010, after an 800-square-feet expansion, the Klein Family Learning Center and Winstar Library and Classrooms became the Backside Learning Center.
From this center we still operate today, as Churchill Downs graciously provides our building and its maintenance at no cost.
Since its inception, the BLC has evolved into a comprehensive resource center for the hidden heroes of Louisville’s horseracing industry. We provide English classes for adults, afterschool programming for the children of backside workers, and a diverse range of social services.
Just as important, we exist as a community center and a “home away from home” for the nearly 1,000 workers at Churchill Downs who represent more than 16 countries around the world.
The services and programs of the BLC today would not be possible without support from Louisville Thoroughbred owners and breeders Richard, Elaine, and Bert Klein,
and Bill Casner with WinStar Farm.
Thank you!