Breakthrough Atlanta is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a $325,000 grant from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation. The grant will be used to purchase two 40-passenger buses and two 14-passenger buses to transport students to and from the wide range of metro Atlanta public schools that Breakthrough Atlanta serves.

BTA, in its twenty-first year, is hosted at The Lovett School and Atlanta Youth Academy with a mission to put Atlanta public school students on a 6-year pathway to college. BTA is pleased to be included with important organizations that received funding from Whitehead including The Atlanta Speech School and Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students who are dramatically improving outcomes for Atlanta’s students.

“Transportation plays a major role in Breakthrough Atlanta operations,” said Breakthrough Atlanta’s Executive Director Monica Rodgers. “Our students come from 61 zip codes across Atlanta and often don’t have the resources to get to and from our teaching sites. Breakthrough is truly grateful for the generosity of The Whitehead Foundation. We hope to reach even more students across Atlanta now that we have a larger fleet of buses,” Rodgers said.

Breakthrough Atlanta is currently engaged in a fundraising campaign to raise $3.7 million. Funds raised will go towards financial stability and growth, data collection & analysis, and strategic programming, which includes: transportation, curriculum investments, college relations & tours, and teaching fellow recruitment.

"We have a commitment to our students and their families to ensure that Breakthrough Atlanta will continue to transform students’ lives and provide an entry into the education profession for teacher interns for years to come. Our board is grateful for The Whitehead Foundation's belief in our work, and we're hopeful their support will inspire others to join us in our mission to place promising students from metro Atlanta’s middle schools on a six-year path to college," said Breakthrough Atlanta Advisory Board President Pinney Allen.