Horizons Atlanta Adds The Temple as its 11th Program Site and Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Thursday, May 11th, 2023
Horizons Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that provides tuition-free six-week summer intensive and year-round learning programs to students in grades K – 12 from underserved communities, today announced it is partnering with The Temple, one of Atlanta’s most historic landmarks and home to the Bremen Education Center, to launch its 11th program site in June 2023. With the addition of Horizons Atlanta at The Temple, the nonprofit will serve more than 1,400 scholars in Atlanta and Athens this summer.
“We are thrilled that The Temple chose to partner with us as our newest host institution as its commitment to social justice, existing excellent education programs, and supportive community complements our project-based educational approach and mission,” said Horizon Atlanta’s Executive Director Alex Wan. “With The Temple’s support, we will ensure that more Atlanta scholars have the academic and social-emotional foundations important for them to thrive in school and later in life.”
"We can’t wait for the opportunity for students to learn, grow and achieve their goals with The Temple and Horizons. And we are so grateful to be able to offer this program to our community, as we know through our experiences with the Zaban Paradies Couples Center, the lasting impact this investment will have on the students, their families, and on the entire Temple family," said The Temple’s Rabbi Lydia Medwin.
Horizons Atlanta at The Temple’s summer program will begin with 30 students, including 15 kindergarten (rising first grade) and 15 first grade (rising second grade) students who currently attend Fred A. Toomer Elementary School, an International Baccalaureate World School in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) district. Students enter the Horizons summer program based on referrals from their current teaching staff and typically remain in the program until they complete eighth grade. The Temple program will eventually serve up to 135 students through the eighth grade, adding a new grade level each summer beginning in 2024.
In addition to starting its 11th program this year, Horizons Atlanta is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a regional office and the impact it has made on thousands of young Atlanta scholars’ lives during this time. The Horizons Atlanta regional office was established in 2013, building on the success of the Horizons National network and Atlanta’s first two program sites -- Horizons at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School (HIES) and Horizons at Woodward Academy – to accelerate the growth of the Horizons program.
Since then, the Horizons Atlanta regional office has continuously expanded the reach and capacity of its programs. It has grown from two program sites in Atlanta in 2012, serving 165 scholars, to 11 host institutions, including a regional expansion to Athens, Ga., in 2022 with the launch of Horizons Atlanta at the University of Georgia. In summer 2022, Horizons Atlanta served 1,262 scholars across 10 sites, providing 253 hours of swim instruction, 229 hours of social emotional learning, 67 field trips, and 65,624 meals.
Since then, the Horizons Atlanta regional office has continuously expanded the reach and capacity of its programs. It has grown from two program sites in Atlanta in 2012, serving 165 scholars, to 11 host institutions, including a regional expansion to Athens, Ga., in 2022 with the launch of Horizons Atlanta at the University of Georgia. In summer 2022, Horizons Atlanta served 1,262 scholars across 10 sites, providing 253 hours of swim instruction, 229 hours of social emotional learning, 67 field trips, and 65,624 meals.
