RedefinED Atlanta, a locally based champion of K–12 public education, today announced the launch of the Atlanta Changemakers for Education (A.C.E.) Fellowship, a nine-month leadership program for current and emerging leaders committed to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for students across Metro Atlanta.

“If we want more students in trajectory-changing schools, we need more informed, engaged community leaders helping shape solutions,” said Angira Sceusi, executive director. “The A.C.E. Fellowship helps participants understand how policy, data, governance, and funding work together and gives them the tools they need to turn that understanding into action.”

The fellowship is anchored in three core pillars: leadership enhancement, community and network building, and education systems and advocacy. Through leadership workshops, policy discussions, and hands-on experiences including community engagement and participatory grantmaking, fellows gain a deep understanding of how public education systems shape student outcomes, build relationships with influential education leaders, and develop practical advocacy skills to advance equitable, high-quality schools.

RedefinED Atlanta will accept applications for the inaugural cohort from May 11 - 29, 2026. Selected candidates will be invited to interview in June, with the 2026–27 cohort announced in early August. The fellowship will begin in mid-August and run through April 2027. Fellows are expected to participate in four hours of programming each month.

The program will take place across Metro Atlanta, with a focus on leaders connected to Atlanta Public Schools and Clayton County Public Schools.

Strong candidates:
- Include parents, educators, and nonprofit/business professionals interested in deepening their civic engagement
- Demonstrate a desire to build knowledge of the public education ecosystem and develop advocacy skills to advance equitable, high-quality schools across the region
- Bring a passion for student success, a willingness to engage across diverse perspectives, and a commitment to translating ideas into action that benefits students and schools

The A.C.E. Fellowship merges RedefinED Atlanta’s previous fellowships -- the Atlanta Reimagining & Innovating for Schools Everywhere (A.R.I.S.E.) Fellowship and the Clayton County Grant Advisory Council. Together, these programs engaged more than 40 leaders and helped direct more than $800,000 in funding to initiatives supporting students across Atlanta Public Schools and Clayton County. Building on this impact, A.C.E. integrates leadership development, advocacy, and participatory grantmaking into one unified program.

The A.R.I.S.E. Fellowship, launched in 2022, focused on growing community leadership by equipping participants with knowledge of public education systems and tools to drive systemic change. The Clayton County Grant Advisory Council, launched in 2024, expanded this approach by engaging local residents directly in community-driven, place-based grantmaking that centered the needs of families and students. These efforts reflect RedefinED Atlanta’s belief that those closest to the challenges should help shape solutions and investments in public education.

“What makes the fellowship so beautiful is that it is compounding. Even though I’ve graduated now, I will always be a champion for education,” said Egypt Noboa, college and career specialist at the Urban League of Greater Atlanta and 2024–25 A.R.I.S.E. Fellow.

RedefinED Atlanta’s new three-year strategic plan builds on this work, focusing on expanding access to high-quality public schools by aligning investments across school growth, educator support, and policy while working closely with communities to drive sustaining change. The A.C.E. Fellowship brings these efforts together into one program, combining learning and action so participants not only understand education systems and advocacy, but also have a role in solving the challenges.