Blueprint 502

Who We Are

Blueprint 502 is a workforce development, education, and leadership program

empowering Louisville’s opportunity youth—young adults ages 18–24—to reach their

full potential as active leaders and contributors to a thriving local economy.

Our vision is to build a strong foundation for lifelong success by equipping young people

with essential life and job skills. We guide them toward confident adulthood with a focus

on work, education, family, and civic engagement.

What We Do

For more than two decades, we operated as YouthBuild Louisville, part of a global

network helping young adults reconnect with education, gain in-demand job training,

and lead through service.

In 2024, we proudly launched Blueprint 502 as our new parent organization, reflecting

our expanded mission and holistic approach. While we continue to operate a YouthBuild

Louisville program, Blueprint 502 encompasses a wider range of services to meet the

evolving needs of our community and the young adults we serve.

Under the leadership of President & CEO Lynn Rippy, Blueprint 502 has grown into a

nationally recognized model - providing individualized supports, real-world training, and

pathways to lifelong success.

How We Do It

Education

Blueprint 502 is a place of both healing and opportunity. Many students come to us

without a high school diploma or GED. Through small classes and personal guidance,

participants can earn their diploma while building literacy, numeracy, and college or

apprenticeship readiness. Our education-first approach provides a stable, supportive

environment to develop critical academic and life skills.

Job Training: Construction

In our hands-on construction training program, students learn through real-world

projects and earn industry-recognized credentials. These experiences prepare them for

high-demand careers and give them the confidence to succeed. Strong relationships

with local employers ensure students graduate job-ready - many even return as staff or

mentors to inspire the next generation.

   

Community Service

Each YouthBuild Louisville student completes 450 hours of community service - gaining

an education award while supporting housing, nutrition, environmental, and

beautification projects across Louisville. These experiences build pride, purpose, and

powerful connections with the community.

In one recent year, Blueprint 502 students contributed over 35,500 hours of service -

much of it through affordable housing construction.

SummerWorks

Our on-campus SummerWorks Job Development Center expands access to

meaningful employment for youth in Smoketown and beyond. This initiative offers direct

pathways to opportunity while reinforcing Blueprint 502’s reputation as a hub for

workforce and personal development.

Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP)

Through YHDP, Blueprint 502 provides transitional housing and wraparound supports

for students facing housing instability. By meeting basic needs first, we create space for

long-term planning, skill-building, and personal growth - supporting a full transition into

stability and self-sufficiency.

Counseling & Supportive Services

Structural poverty leaves lasting psychological impacts. Our Case Managers help

students heal through one-on-one counseling, group support, life planning, and

mentorship. We address trauma and unhealthy patterns so students can build new

futures rooted in stability, purpose, and hope.

Urban Conservation Corps (UCC)

The UCC engages full-time Blueprint 502 AmeriCorps members in land stewardship,

food systems, environmental sustainability, and community revitalization. Focused on

historically disinvested communities, the UCC trains young adults in green careers that

support public health and environmental justice - fields like landscape restoration, water

quality, remediation, and waste renewal.

Smoketown Community Center

The Smoketown Community Center, 538 E. Breckinridge, 40203 is a vibrant, youth-

centered hub providing education, job training, and wraparound support for young

adults ages 11-24 in Louisville. Powered by Blueprint 502, the center offers afterschool

programming, a makerspace, mentorship, and workforce development—fostering

opportunity, creativity, and community engagement in one of the city’s most historic

neighborhoods. A space built with and for the community.

We Are Family

Whether it's construction, conservation, nursing, or counseling - Blueprint 502 stands

beside every student as they take charge of their future. We meet youth where they are,

walk with them through their journey, and help them build lives filled with meaning,

opportunity, and dignity.

We are Blueprint 502 - Building brighter futures, one blueprint at a time.