River Cities Unite for Kindergarten Readiness | Lexington News

Lexington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 11, 2026 · 1m

Northern Kentucky’s River Cities are launching a bold, community-driven initiative to ensure every child is kindergarten-ready, led by Marshelle Watkins-Blackwell as the new EducateNKY Read Ready Director. With local governments, schools, libraries, businesses, and families united under a collective impact model, the program is building trust, offering resources like developmental screenings and early literacy tools, and even reaching kids in unexpected places like laundromats. Backed by partnerships with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and HIPPY, and championed…