In celebration of the 10^th anniversary of Georgia Pre-K Week, The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) made an $8,500 donation in the form of learning tools and supplies for up to 1,244 pre-K students across 34 schools in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) district.  

Georgia Pre-K Week, which took place this year October 5 – 9, was established in 2010 by community organizations such as Voices for Georgia’s Children and Bright from the Start to raise awareness of quality early childhood education and to bring local leaders into Georgia pre-K classrooms. 

The learning tools and manipulatives provided for the students include alphabet letters, number and solar system puzzles, modeling dough and other resources to support young students as they learn from home the fundamentals of reading, numbers and shape identification. 

“Through our partnership with APS, we gained a deeper understanding of what tools these students could use to make the most out of their virtual learning experiences,” said JLA President Bre West. “JLA and APS leadership worked together to determine the most valuable tools for our region’s youngest learners, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to provide these resources.” 

Many of JLA’s more than 2,800 members also participated in Georgia Pre-K Week by attending a virtual event on the topic, participating in virtual book readings for local pre-k students or taking to social media to advocate for the importance of early childhood education, one of JLA’s three mission-focus areas of interest. 

“With more than 31 percent of Atlanta’s children living in poverty, it has never been more critical for organizations like JLA to take action,” said West. “When these children attend quality preschool classes, they are more likely to be set up for success throughout their educational journey, and Georgia’s Pre-K program helps expand the opportunities for those who lack resources, a mission JLA can absolutely get behind.”

Celebrating Georgia Pre-K is one of many early childhood education initiatives supported by JLA. To learn more about The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc., visit jlatlanta.org.