The XQ Super School Bus stopped by Atlanta Public Schools’ Price Middle School from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 29 to celebrate D.M. Therrell High School being named a semi-finalist for the Atlanta Arts and Innovation Academy $10 million grant application. If awarded, AAIA will be Georgia’s first ever STEM-Arts integration and innovation school serving students interested in technological and scientific elements of film and theatrical arts.

The grant application was developed by a team that included Therrell High School students and staff, parents, community members, business partners, and APS district office staff.
 
In its inaugural year, AAIA will serve approximately 100 students in grades 9-12, and add students every year, reaching eventual capacity of 400. The school will serve students currently zoned for Therrell High School. “Our students are very excited and our community is ecstatic about the opportunity for D.M. Therrell High School,” said Therrell High School Principal Shelly Powell. “The film industry in Georgia is booming and the possibilities are endless.  I want our students to have choice filled lives that prepare them for greatness.”
 
Atlanta has become the third fastest growing locale for film and television projects of major motion picture companies and television networks in the country.  It is a hub for studios, sound stages, and theaters invested in by local businesses such as Chick-fil-A, out of state groups such as Screen-Gems and international companies such as Pinewood Studios.  With the proposed academy, APS is seeking to capitalize on the booming film industry by preparing students for jobs in this field.
 
The winners of the XQ Super School Project grant will be announced in August 2016.
 
The XQ Super School Bus, a 47-foot modified school bus complete with recording studios and interactive virtual walls, invited students, parents, teachers and community members to explore innovative and effective solutions to improve high schools. APS students, teachers, administrators and parents visited the XQ Bus and recorded video inside the interactive booth to express what they think a high school should look like. Students and parents also added their brush strokes to a community art project. The event also featured a virtual reality station, music, giveaways and refreshments provided by local food trucks.