redefinED Atlanta Provides 24 Grants to Schools and Nonprofits Serving Students in Atlanta Public Schools

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

redefinED atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that every student in Atlanta has the opportunity to attend a great public school, today announced it has awarded more than $168,000 in grants to 24 recipients, including 14 schools serving students in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) district. Grants were awarded through the Innovation Fund for Pandemic Education and Restart, which was created to help organizations address the immediate educational needs of schools and students due to the impact of COVID-19 and to reimagine and enhance public education for the future.

“When Atlanta Public Schools began the school year virtually last August, we knew that students who were already facing unimaginable circumstances would need more educational and mental health support if learning was to take place. The Innovation Fund was born from this need, as well as to inspire schools to think about how they could initiate positive and sustainable changes for the future,” said Ed Chang, executive director of redefinED atlanta. “We are thankful to our partners who helped make these grants a reality, and are happy that many of the programs awarded grants are already seeing meaningful results.”

Once Atlanta schools shuttered in March, redefinED atlanta quickly pivoted to provide assistance to APS leadership, schools and families. In May of 2020, the nonprofit granted funds to two local parent groups who administered pandemic hardship grants through the “For Us By Us” fund for APS families experiencing heightened or extended difficulties during the early months of COVID-19. In June of last year, redefinED atlanta partnered with Learn 4 Life to release “Quantifying the Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on Metro Atlanta Student Proficiency,” a report to help school leaders with possible solutions to mitigate the learning loss caused by closing of schools. With the awarding of Innovation Fund grants, redefinED atlanta has provided more than $270,000 in pandemic support to Atlanta communities during the last year.

The redefinED Innovation Fund, launched in October of 2020 and now depleted, was open to all public schools and nonprofit organizations that operate in Atlanta and served students from the Atlanta Public Schools district. Grant requests were required to meet specific criteria such as aligning with Transcend Education’s Leaps for Equitable, 21^st-Century Learning which is anchored in helping young people maximize their own potential while being connected and supporting a larger community. Additional requirements also specified that the proposal must advance equity focusing on the needs of students with the greatest need, and the ability to quickly implement the proposed project.

More than 50 organizations applied for funding with a total of 24 grants being awarded. The grantees were selected on a rolling basis based on meeting the proposal criteria and their deep roots and impacts in the community. Below is a comprehensive list of the grant recipients.

Grants Supporting Schools Serving Atlanta Public Schools Students: 14 schools totaling $116,655 in funding

Beecher Hills Elementary School - $11,794 (for two grants)

Frederick Wilson Benteen Elementary School Foundation - $ 8,500

Centennial Academy - $ 5,000

Charles R. Drew Charter School - $15,000

Cleveland Avenue Elementary School - $ 5,000

Dobbs Elementary - $ 7,108

Dunbar Elementary School - $ 4,800

Ethos Classical - $ 5,000

Harper-Archer Elementary School - $10,523

Jackson Cluster (Family Innovation Network via APS) - $13,400

Jean Childs Young Middle School - $10,000