The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution on Nov. 7 calling for the placement of an historical marker on the grounds of City Hall honoring Vietnam veterans. “More than 40 years ago we did not greet these brave soldiers when they came home. Some of them had to take their uniforms off, for fear of retaliation from their fellow Americans who were opposed to the war,” said Councilmember Michael Julian Bond. “It is only befitting that we commemorate the courage, devotion to duty, and sacrifice our Vietnam veterans have made in the fight for peace and democracy.”
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia have announced an expansion of their partnership to include JA Academy, which will enroll its first class of 150 APS students at B.E.S.T. Academy High School at Benjamin S. Carson on the Westside beginning August 2017. Enrollment is open to all rising ninth and tenth grade students, who reside within the APS attendance zones, and the school will continue to grow as students matriculate to the next grade level. JA Academy is designed to provide four years of rigorous standards-based education that integrates business connectivity directly into the education process. The framework creates an interdisciplinary learning environment that engages students through dynamic real-life case studies, which provide exposure to a myriad of industries and careers, and creates purposeful connections between academic concepts and real-world application. The curriculum also gives students hands-on experience through work based learning, collaboration with mentors, and engagement with post-secondary institutions. For more information on JA Academy, visit georgia.ja.org/jaacademy.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. has awarded a $4 million grant to Equity Atlanta Collaborative — a new group that brings together Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc. (ACE), Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP), and Reinvestment Fund. The nonprofits will work together to provide targeted loan capital and consulting services for high-quality affordable housing projects and small businesses in underserved communities in south Atlanta and Gwinnett County. The Equity Atlanta Collaborative will focus on creating or preserving over 700 affordable housing units and establishing over 1,000 jobs through small business and housing development. To learn more about these organizations, visit ACE (aceloans.org), ANDP (andpi.org), or Reinvestment Fund (reinvestment.com).