Westside Future Fund is proud to announce that Atlanta-based NCR Corporation is WFF’s newest partner in the revitalization of Atlanta’s Historic Westside.

NCR, a global technology company, has pledged $1 million toward funding education initiatives at Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy, the STEM-based, pre-K-8 school that opened on the Westside in 2016.

NCR’s commitment is a boost to WFF’s cradle-to-career education strategy — one of the four impact areas WFF has identified for the focus of its work.

“NCR is honored to partner with Georgia Tech’s Center for Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing, to build student interest and achievement in STEM topics at Hollis Innovation Academy through a $1M investment over five years to the Westside Future Fund,” said Yvonne Whitaker, NCR Foundation Lead.  “STEM Education is an important focus area for NCR Foundation, our intent is to promote diversity and wider access to STEM education through this investment.”

The NCR gift will directly fund WFF’s $16.4 million pledge to Atlanta Public Schools, which includes Hollis Academy.

Westside Future Fund’s efforts to elevate the quality of life for residents in four of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods revolves around the following four impact areas: community health and wellness, safety and security, quality mixed-income neighborhoods, and cradle-to-career education.

In July 2017, WFF announced a five-year, $16.4 million partnership with APS, a fundamental pillar of the cradle-to-career education strategy. The partnership targets children in four Westside neighborhoods — Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center, English Avenue and Vine City — for improved access to high-quality educational options and wraparound support services.

NCR’s contribution will specifically support this partnership, funding education initiatives and interventions at Hollis Academy. The school serves approximately 500 residents, most of whom – 88% as of 2016 – are living in households falling below the poverty line.

NCR’s gift will fund Hollis’ partnership with Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics & Computing and Horizons program, which are drivers of the Hollis’ STEM curriculum.

A Formula for Making the Grade

NCR joins Atlanta-based companies The Coca-Cola Company, SunTrust Bank and AT&T as direct supporters of WFF’s commitment to APS and Hollis Innovation Academy.

Previous gifts have funded the addition of one new teacher in every Hollis classroom, cutting the student to teacher ratio in half, as well as more wraparound support services like [example support services]. These combined initiatives contributed to Hollis making significant gains in statewide testing after just one year in operation.

“I am completely overjoyed by this gift from NCR Corporation,” said Hollis Innovation Academy principal, Dr. Diamond Jack. “The impact of such a significant investment in our school and in our students is monumental. Philanthropic support from entities like NCR is crucial to Hollis as we continue to provide an innovative, quality learning environment. Such partnerships are absolutely priceless as we strive to be a beacon of light in the lives of our students, their families, and in our community.”

A Holistic Revitalization Strategy

WFF’s partnership with APS is central to its commitment to quality cradle-to-career education as part of its collaborative community revitalization strategy.

As a key component of the APS turn-around strategy, APS and WFF agreed to focus on Hollis Innovation Academy as the pilot initiative. Additional support will be directed to other schools in the Westside’s Washington High School cluster later on in the five-year commitment.

WFF is also supportive of affordable, high-quality early childhood education, illustrated through its support of the YMCA’s new Leadership and Learning Center, which will be a feeder into Hollis. It is scheduled to open in Vine City in fall 2018.

WFF is simultaneously working with its execution partners in its other three impact areas. In recent months, significant progress has been made in community retention/mixed-income housing.

• In December, Atlanta City Council announced the adoption of the community-driven Westside Land Use Framework Plan, sponsored by WFF and the City of Atlanta. The plan reinforces WFF’s goals of resident retention and historic, cultural preservation and will now guide all future development in the district.

• In February, in partnership with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, WFF announced more than 50 new quality, affordable housing units for the community’s legacy renters, with the first property coming available for current residents as soon as 3Q 2018.

“The leadership of WFF understands that truly transformative neighborhood revitalization cannot happen in isolation,” said John Ahmann, executive director of the Westside Future Fund. “High-quality educational options for the children in the target neighborhoods will anchor and sustain the revitalization, but we must also work in tandem to bring high-quality options and opportunities across all four impact areas. If students have access to a better education but can’t stay in the community, our efforts will be in vain. We are focused on addressing every factor contributing to generational poverty.”