Georgia United Foundation in partnership with Georgia United Credit Union is excited to announce seven grant recipients of the 2023 Georgia United Foundation School Crashers program. School Crashers is one of the Foundation's largest community service programs that offers schools across the state an opportunity to apply for a school facility makeover. The program strengthens communities by supporting local school systems with the end goal of improving the learning environment for the students, faculty and staff.

Through the previous nine years, Georgia United's School Crashers program has positively impacted 43,666 children across 63 schools by creating inspiring learning spaces and facility improvements valued at more than $1.8 million. Funding for the program is provided by Georgia United Foundation and generous donations made by community partners. The selected schools will receive project improvements over the summer before the start of the new school year.

The 2023 School Crashers grant recipients are:

• School - Location - Students - Improvements

• Salem Middle School Stonecrest 1,025 -Faculty recharge room, counseling office updates and new Mohawk Flooring

• Burnette Elementary Suwanee 629 Sensory room and new Mohawk Flooring

• Westside Elementary Rocky Face 657 Sensory room and new Mohawk Flooring

• Windsor Forest Elementary Savannah 700 Faculty recharge room and new Mohawk Flooring

• Kingston Elementary Kingston 562 Sensory path

• High Shoals Elementary Bishop 525 Sensory room and new Mohawk Flooring

• Cass Middle School Cartersville 900 Faculty recharge room and new Mohawk Flooring

To learn more details about the individual School Crashers projects and view photos of past School Crashers recipients, visit gucufoundation.org/schoolcrashers.

The School Crashers nomination period opened in February to all accredited K-12 schools in Georgia. Interested schools were asked to include a photograph along with a 250-word essay describing why their school should receive a makeover. Nominations were received from 247 applicant schools and after a rigorous judging process, seven schools have been slated to receive school improvements over the summer.

"We are looking forward to serving our communities and strengthening our school systems through the tenth annual School Crashers program," said Georgia United President and CEO Debbie Smith. "The Georgia United Foundation, credit union team members, generous donors, community partners and volunteers make this a worthwhile community service event, where we provide inspiring learning spaces for the students, faculty, and staff. By the end of the summer, we anticipate that School Crashers projects will have impacted a total of 70 individual schools with improvements valued at more than $2 million."