ATLANTA (July 21, 2016) – This summer, the Rotary Club of Buckhead, Atlanta International School and Garden Hills Elementary School are teaming up to close the summer learning gap between low-income students and their peers.
For some children, summer is a time to engage and explore through museum outings, sports or family vacations. Low-income students aren’t often afforded the same experiences when school is out of session. Horizons Summer Program provides a way for these students to engage in enrichment activities they wouldn’t have access to otherwise, therefore giving them a fighting chance to not fall behind their peers.
This week, 34 kindergarteners through second graders from Garden Hills Elementary School are wrapping up the last week of their six-week Horizons program at Atlanta International School. Their “curriculum” has included reading, STEM-focused activities and even swimming lessons, building not only students’ knowledge, but also confidence.
“We’ve seen countless success stories from these students as a result of their learning in just a short few weeks,” said John Brock, chairman of Horizons Atlanta and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises. “Their success hinges on both financial resources and the people who take the time to serve our students. We are able to have an incredible impact on young lives, both now and in the future, thanks to dedicated organizations like the Rotary Club of Buckhead, which has donated $10,000 and incredible volunteers, and the Atlanta International School, which has provided a safe haven for hosting Horizons this summer.”
While just 71.5 percent of Atlanta Public Schools’ students graduate, high school students who participate in Horizons have a 99 percent graduation rate.
Horizons started in Connecticut in 1964 and has been making a difference in Atlanta since 1999. While the organization has now reached 4,500 pre-kindergarten through high school students in 17 states across the nation, this summer marks the program’s first time at Atlanta International School. Due to the support of the Rotary Club of Buckhead, the Atlanta International School will continue to host Horizons for summer camp for the next three years and has plans to keep the program running in the years to follow.
“We look forward to continuing to serve our community through Horizons as we strive to set Atlanta’s children up for success,” said Kevin Glass, Headmaster of the Atlanta International School and a member of the Rotary Club of Buckhead. “Youth and Education is one of Buckhead Rotary’s primary focus areas because we know our investment in children early on will make all the difference as they go on to become successful adults.”
###
About Atlanta International School
Celebrating its 30th anniversary school year, Atlanta International School offers all three International Baccalaureate (IB) programs to more than 1,160 U.S. and international students from 3-year-old kindergarten to grade 12. Rigorous academics are enriched by a world-class language acquisition program, which begins with a full-immersion preschool program in Spanish, French and German. The school offers STEM- and STEAM-endorsed and bilingual diplomas in addition to the prestigious IB diploma. Beyond the classroom, AIS students participate in award-winning performing and fine arts opportunities, competitive athletics and global experiential learning. The AIS community comprises more than 90 nationalities. AIS is accredited by SAIS and the Council of International Schools. For more information, please visit www.aischool.org.
About Rotary Club of Buckhead
The Rotary Club of Buckhead was founded in 1951 to unite leaders from all walks of life, amplifying the individual contributions of members to make Atlanta and the world a better place to live and to work. The club meets each Monday for a 12:15 p.m. lunch at Maggiano’s Buckhead. For more information, visit www.buckheadrotary.com.