By Jessica Woltjen, Senior Policy Manager for Early Education, GEEARS The eighth annual Strolling Thunder is happening on February 6th at the Georgia capitol! At this powerful day of advocacy for family-friendly policies, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students convenes families from all over Georgia, helps them hone their messages, then provides them […]
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
Transforming Lives: Maranda’s Journey with YWCA Greater Atlanta
YWCA Greater Atlanta has long been a cornerstone of support for women, girls and their families in our community since its founding at Spelman College in 1902. By taking a “whole woman approach”, we acknowledge that women’s lives are multi-dimensional, and that true empowerment requires addressing their physical well-being, mental health, financial security, access to […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
GEEARing Up for the 2025 Legislative Session: Four of Our Policy Priorities
As we prepare for Georgia’s 2025 Legislative Session, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students is working on the policy agenda we’ll use in our advocacy. A trend is clear: Life these days is extremely expensive, and families of all income levels are struggling to afford even basic necessities. For the parents of young […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Cox Campus Provides $140+ Million in Free Teacher Training
The Atlanta Speech School, through its Rollins Center for Language & Literacy (Rollins Center) and free professional development platform Cox Campus, is at the forefront of a national solution to illiteracy. To date, the Cox Campus has delivered more than 140 million dollars’ worth of literacy courses at no cost to schools or districts nationwide. […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
See to Succeed: How the Atlanta Vision Project is Changing Lives with Free Glasses
By Dr. Rebecca Parshall In metro Atlanta, a transformative effort called The Atlanta Vision Project is setting out to provide vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to every elementary school-aged student in need, at no cost to students or their families. Aimed at addressing the challenge of accessing vision care, this initiative has clear objectives: […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Why This is an Excellent Time to Support GEEARS
By GEEARS On November 22nd, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students hosted our annual luncheon. It was a dazzling day in which 200 fellow supporters of early childhood gathered at Zoo Atlanta (with an excellent view of the elephants!) to celebrate our organization’s work on behalf of Georgia families and educators. We honored […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Legacy of Impact: Metro Atlanta’s Youth of the Year
By David Jernigan, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta In the fast-moving world of youth development, moments of true reflection often come when you least expect them. This year’s Youth of the Year (YOY) Celebration for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) was one of those moments. As […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon Features Matt Ryan!
On Thursday, November 21st, GEEARS will host our annual luncheon and our headliner is super exciting: Former Falcons quarterback and children’s advocate, Matt Ryan. Here are three reasons you should snag your ticket today! Beyond all these enticements, purchasing a ticket or table supports GEEARS’ work to ensure that every child in Georgia has the […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: ENCOREplus Annual Tea
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when communities come together to raise awareness about the disease and advocate for life-saving screenings and treatment. In Georgia, breast cancer remains a serious concern. According to recent data from the American Cancer Society, nearly 9,800 women in the state of Georgia are estimated to be diagnosed […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Small TALK is making a BIG Impact at Wellstar Health System
By Lisa Liedke and Meredith MacKenzie Imagine all children entering kindergarten, having been immersed in words, stories, and songs from the very start of life. At Wellstar, we believe every child deserves this foundation. That’s why we are integrating early healthy brain development, language acquisition, and literacy fundamentals to ensure that every child can find […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
When You’re “Doing Your Own Research” For the Election, Let GEEARS Help
Everyone goes to the voting booth with their own list of priorities. In our polling, we at GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students have found that an overwhelming number of Georgia voters care deeply about early childhood issues and choose their candidates with those issues in mind. Voters may wonder if and how […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Partnering for Cybersecurity: How Atlanta Businesses and Boys & Girls Clubs Can Build a Safer Digital Future Together
BY Carl Patten II, Vice President of Information Technology, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta & Mat Mathews, Chief Technology Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Recently, a 12-year-old teen in Georgia made national news after disappearing from her driveway. The teen was eventually located in Ohio.[1]Reading stories such as the 12-year-old’s incident […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
YWCA USA Asks- Why Do Women Vote?
This summer, YWCA USA conducted a national survey of women voters to learn about one critical topic: Why Women Vote. This aptly named YWomenVote survey confirmed that women across the country are motivated to make their voices heard this election. Respondents identified that women’s economic security and empowerment, the impact of domestic violence and gender […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
In Honor of National Literacy Month, Let’s Increase Access to the Best Early Literacy Source: High-Quality Early Education
By GEEARS Have you ever heard someone say, “Why take your toddler on vacation when they won’t remember it?” Given the cost of a lot of adventures, it’s a fair question. But we have a great answer, which also applies to more accessible outings like a sports game, a birthday party, or our favorite, […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
Twenty Years of Language and Literacy: Rollins Center and Cox Campus
The Rollins Center for Language & Literacy, a program of the Atlanta Speech School, and its free online professional development platform, Cox Campus, have been serving Atlanta and communities far beyond Georgia for the past two decades. Founded on the purpose of breaking the cycle of illiteracy for children whose families have experienced generational denied […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
The Fire Pit Effect: How RETAIN Schools are Inspiring Teachers to Stay
By Leslie Hazle Bussey, Ph.D. There are two ways to think about teacher retention. One, as the word “retain” implies, is to accept as natural and unchangeable that teachers will want to leave, while making it difficult for them to do so. Another approach is best illustrated by the attracting force that is a fire […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
The Stories Behind the 2024 Early Childhood Checkup
Last year, GEEARS launched the Annual Early Childhood Checkup, a quick, digestible reference to help policymakers, community leaders, and others measure statewide progress on key early childhood indicators. The Checkup considers three broad categories that touch upon a young child’s life: Early Learning, Health, and Family Supports. And since no little ones exist outside of […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
‘Would You like to Round Up to Support …?’ Cause Marketing: A Win-Win Strategy for Businesses and Nonprofits
By David Jernigan, CEO & President, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Imagine yourself at your neighborhood department store, shopping for a few essentials. You find a couple of great deals on clothes and home items, and with your basket full, you head to the register. The cashier rings up your purchases and then […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
The Critical Role of Early Childhood Education in Fostering Lifelong Success: An Update from YWCA Greater Atlanta’s Early Learning Academy
The 2023-2024 school year has finished, and YWCA Greater Atlanta celebrates the achievements and advancements of our Early Learning Academy. At the heart of YWCA Atlanta’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women is ensuring children have access to quality education and childcare while also empowering teachers in our Early Learning Program through professional development […]
Posted inSecuring Atlanta's Future
GEEARS’ Recommendations for the Georgia Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Child Care
The Georgia Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Child Care has been staffed! The bipartisan septet of legislators chaired by Senator Brian Strickland includes several parents of young children and will spend the rest of 2024 delving into our state’s challenging child care landscape. But wait a minute, GEEARS, we can hear you thinking. […]
