By Erica Stephens and Jessica Woltjen I’m in college. It’s a simple statement that evokes images of football Saturdays and all-nighters for finals, pennants and parties, fun and freedom. But nearly one in five (3.1 million) undergraduate students in the United States are also parents, and for them, post-secondary education looks different. In GEEARS’ latest […]
Category: Securing Atlanta’s Future
Atlanta is currently experiencing a period of incredible growth and transformation. During this time, it is imperative that we remain committed to caring for our most vulnerable citizens, children. Creating and sustaining an environment where children thrive means actively working to support all aspects of their healthy development. Organizations likeGEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, Junior League of Atlanta, Sheltering Arms, and Communities in Schools Atlanta, are dedicated to promoting and investing in programs that provide high-quality early learning, wrap around supports for children and their families, and community engagement that facilitates the strengthening of Atlanta’s communities, thus securing a successful future for all. Join us weekly as we examine some of the most pressing issues children and families face. We’ll explore potential solutions and discuss steps we are currently taking to address these obstacles.
GEEARS: (Logo attached above) Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students works throughout Georgia to improve public policy, increase public awareness, conduct and interpret research, and lead a movement to support high-quality early education and healthy development for children birth to five. Our vision is that by 2020, every child in Georgia will enter kindergarten prepared to succeed and on a path to read to learn by the end of the third grade. GEEARS’ is based in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.geears.org.
Sheltering Arms: (Logo attached in this email)
Sheltering Arms provides high‐quality early education, child care and comprehensive family support services to more than 3,500 children and their families annually at 14 metropolitan Atlanta locations in Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.
Junior League of Atlanta (JLA): (Logo attached below) The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) is an organization of women, committed to making lasting transformation in the Atlanta community. The 100 year legacy of leadership is built on our ability to train women leaders to tackle tough issues impacting women and children, and provides a strong foundation for civic leadership.
Communities in Schools (CIS): (logo attached in this email)
CIS of Atlanta empowers youth in the greater Atlanta area to reach their fullest potential through a wide range of services. CIS places dedicated staff members called Site Coordinators in local schools where they build strong relationships with students, parents, educators and community members.
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
New Literacy Microcredential Launches in Partnership with KSU, Learn4Life, and Atlanta Speech School
Kennesaw State University (KSU), the Atlanta Speech School, and Learn4Life are proud to announce the launch of the Impactful Read Alouds in Early Literacy Microcredential, a first-of-its-kind professional learning opportunity designed to strengthen early literacy in Georgia communities. This new microcredential empowers families, civic leaders, volunteers, and community members with practical tools to foster a […]
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Legacy in Full Color: YWCA Greater Atlanta’s New Mural Honors the Past, Inspires the Future
On September 4, YWCA Greater Atlanta hosted a powerful evening of reflection and celebration at its North Highland Avenue headquarters, unveiling Legacy in Full Color—a new mural honoring more than a century of women who have shaped both the association’s history and Atlanta’s civic life. Created by Atlanta muralist Lacey Longino, the artwork is a […]
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Here’s a Way to Support Georgia’s Youngest Children—Attend GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon
GEEARS leads a movement—fueled by research and advocacy—to make our state the best place to raise a very young child. Yet in 2025, federal policy changes are weakening some supports for Georgia’s families, just when their needs are greater than ever. That means it’s time for all of us to join this movement. One way […]
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The Surprising Power of the Arts to Boost Literacy
By ArtsNOW Literacy is a challenge across metro Atlanta, but progress is possible. Newly released Georgia Milestones data from the 2024-2025 school year shows that only 38 percent of third-grade students in the region are reading proficiently, a 3-point decrease from last year. While this reality underscores the urgency of the work ahead, it also […]
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The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Will Change Health and Nutrition Supports: How to Help Families Prepare
The passage of the reconciliation package known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” means that many Georgians—particularly those who rely on social safety nets like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid—could face hardship in the coming years. To prepare for these challenges, an understanding of the contents of the bill is essential. […]
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Help 50,000 Kids See and Succeed — For Free!
By Dr. Rebecca Parshall This school year, Learn4Life is launching The Atlanta Vision Project — a bold effort to bring free eye exams and glasses to every elementary student in metro Atlanta who needs them. And there’s a simple, no-cost way for you to help: the PEACH Education Tax Credit. This isn’t a donation. It’s […]
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A Tradition of Leadership: YWCA Greater Atlanta’s Academy of Women Achievers
Since 1984, YWCA Greater Atlanta has honored extraordinary women whose lives and work embody its enduring mission: to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The Academy of Women Achievers is a living tapestry of leading women dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the Atlanta area and helping […]
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Child Care Challenges and Their $2.5 Billion Economic Impact
In 2018, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students and the Metro Atlanta Chamber conducted a study to better understand the prevalence, nature, and impact of child care challenges. The results revealed that such challenges had a devastating impact on families’ ability to participate in the workforce and their economic well-being. This hardship for […]
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Dreams Deferred: AmeriCorps Cuts and the Fight for College Access
By Damian Ramsey College wasn’t part of my original plan. Maybe I didn’t believe it was meant for someone like me. But people and programs changed that. They helped me see what was possible and guided me forward. One of those programs was the Bruce Wells Scholars Upward Bound Program at Clark University. Part of […]
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SNAP Funding Cuts Will Harm Georgia’s Youngest Children
By the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute and GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students The budget reconciliation bill, which recently passed the U.S. House, would completely restructure the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), transferring costs to the state and likely resulting in significant cuts to food assistance for families. The House’s proposal also […]
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The Women Shaping Atlanta’s Westside & Why We Should Know Their Names
When the future story of Atlanta’s Westside is told, it will include women who lead, build, organize, and advocate for equity. As John Ahmann, President and CEO of the Westside Future Fund, has stated, “Despite all the work that is being done on the Westside to rebuild the community and provide supportive services to people […]
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Head Start is Essential for Our State’s Economy and its Families
In 2025, Georgians need more help than ever accessing high-quality child care and other services for their children, ages birth through five. After all, the pandemic-era relief funds that sustained child care programs and made them more affordable for families expired in September. And in our most recent state legislative session, only $5.4 million in […]
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Expanding Dyslexia Training When Georgia Needs It Most
The Rollins Center for Language & Literacy is partnering with the University of California and California State University’s leading literacy researchers, led by Dr. Maryanne Wolf and Dr. Laura Rhinehart, to provide expanded coursework for educators focused on serving children with dyslexia. The Rollins Center will be making this content available through their free online […]
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Learn4Life’s Youth Council: Empowering the Next Generation of Educational Leaders
By Tenicia Winston Designing education without student input is like planting a garden without knowing what kind of soil, sunlight, or care the plants need. Every student—like every plant—has unique conditions under which they thrive. And more often than not, they already know what helps them grow best. Yet too often, students are left out […]
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With the Legislative Session Complete, Struggling Georgia Parents Will Receive Some—If Not Enough—Support
If you ask Georgia parents of young children to rate their anxieties these days, most will put finances at the top of their lengthy lists. Specifically, they’re plagued by the high price of child care and its impact on their employment opportunities, their family budgets, and our state’s economy. When Georgia’s legislative session ended in […]
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YWCA Greater Atlanta: Leading Change for Women and Families in Atlanta
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, there is no better time to reflect on the incredible work under way at YWCA Greater Atlanta under the leadership of President and CEO Danita V. Knight. With a mission focused on eliminating racism and empowering women, girls, and their families, YWCA Greater Atlanta is transforming lives and paving the […]
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Make Your Organization a Best Place for Working Parents® Georgia
GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students is pleased to partner with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on a new initiative that promotes family-friendly practices in workplaces and honors the Georgia employers who embrace them. The Best Place for Working Parents® Georgia is a designation achieved through an easy online self-assessment. Employers who make […]
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“As Long as We Keep Showing Up.” GEEARS’ Eighth Annual Strolling Thunder
“There are so many opportunities to lighten the load on young families, but I’m asking you to prioritize investing in TANF and consider enacting a state tax credit to help families make ends meet. I dream of a community where parents can be fully present with their families, not split in two as many of […]
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The Science of Reading: Scaling Beyond the Classroom
By Yolanda Marroquin Far too many children in Georgia struggle with reading, with only 30% of fourth graders reading at or above grade level. The Georgia Early Literacy Act (House Bill 538), enacted in 2023, seeks to change that by aligning reading instruction in schools with the science of reading—a research-backed approach that strengthens foundational […]
