About · Impact reporting
What’s changed since 2018.
Here’s how we’ve grown, and why early reading help matters so much.
6
Students in our very first group, 2019
8
Reading levels one student gained in half a school year
50+
Students assessed and taught during 2020–21, mid-pandemic
64
Students reached across partners in 2021–22
Our timeline
2018
- Decode Project is founded to give West End students fair access to quality reading instruction.
2019
- First cohort of six students.
- Four-week summer intensive pairing structured literacy with visiting artists and engineers.
2020
- Twice-weekly one-on-one sessions for 12 students at Saint Vincent de Paul’s Family Resource Center.
- Moved online during COVID with Dare to Dream Academy, Mizizi Homeschool Co-op and Portland Neighborhood House, serving 42 students.
- Five-week virtual caregiver workshop for 22 participants.
2021
- Literacy and theater camp for 16 students at Louisville Central Community Center.
- Trained 12 youth counselors at Portland Neighborhood House.
- Expanded into three JCPS elementary schools: Byck, Maupin and King.
2022
- Five-week LIT Summer Experience for 22 campers, starting each day with 120 minutes of structured literacy.
- Set a goal to serve 200+ students and caregivers.
News and media
In the news
WAVE 3
Decode Project highlights their work addressing literacy
January 23, 2026
YouTube
Decode’s Concept Corner
February 10, 2026
UofL Magazine
Decoding Disparity
August 1, 2021
WHAS 11
Decode Project helping bridge gap between literacy and equity
June 24, 2020
WHAS 11
Combatting inequality by teaching literacy
June 22, 2020
WHAS 11 video
Fighting inequality with literacy
June 22, 2020
Why early help matters
Kids who get early reading intervention are four times more likely to graduate from high school. That opens the door to better jobs, better health, more civic involvement and longer lives.
Want the full numbers? Ask us for our latest annual report.