Teaching Beyond the Textbook: Trauma-Informed Literacy in Louisville

What if the key to improving health outcomes, graduation rates, and long-term economic mobility in Louisville starts with something simple: helping a child feel safe enough to read?

In this episode of The Lou Review, Rosa Hart sits down with Ashley Dearinger, co-founder of I Would Rather Be Reading, a Louisville-based nonprofit advancing literacy through trauma-informed care, relationship-building, and intentional community partnerships.

Born out of firsthand classroom experience, the organization began as a small summer camp designed to support children who were falling behind — not because they lacked intelligence, but because they lacked stability and consistent support. What followed was rapid, community-driven growth rooted in a powerful understanding: academic success cannot happen until emotional needs are addressed.

Ashley shares how trauma-informed educational practices are reshaping literacy intervention in Louisville and why health literacy is an essential — and often overlooked — component of long-term community wellness.

The conversation explores:

- The link between literacy, health outcomes, and generational opportunity
- Why relationship-centered education drives measurable impact
- How innovative partnerships expand nonprofit reach

- Smart, sustainable fundraising strategies that fuel growth

- Plans to expand services into middle and high school programming

- A long-term vision for community hubs that connect education to career pathways

At its core, I Would Rather Be Reading represents a shift in how Louisville approaches children’s education — from remediation to empowerment.

This episode is a powerful reminder that when a city invests in literacy, it invests in its own future.

Learn more and connect with IWRBR at:

iWouldRatherBeReading.org

🎧 Listen now to learn how this Louisville nonprofit is turning pages - and turning the tide - for children across our community.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation at LouReview.com

Follow host Rosa Hart on social media @RosaRaves and @NurseRosaSpeaks