Education Briefs

e Georgia Environmental Protection Division has awarded Atlanta Pubic Schools the Georgia Diesel Emissions Reduction’s Blue Sky Award for environmental achievement. is is the highest honor awarded to school systems that reduced diesel emission pollution from their school bus eet. APS’ eet of 400 buses transports 22,000 students every school day. APS has used a combination of measures, including grants and capital investments, to reach its level compliance for its bus eet. e district has purchased new buses with improved emissions controls, removed older buses from its eet and installed emission control devises on others. is school year, APS also added 10 new buses that operate on green diesel technology to its eet. is new technology represents an extensive reduction of emissions.

Communities In Schools of Atlanta, an organization dedicated to keeping kids in school with community support, is under the guidance of a new executive director, Frank Brown. Brown succeeds Patty P um, who in addition to serving the past 18 years as executive director, was a liated with CIS since its founding in 1972. Most recently, Brown served as the rst executive director of the Butler Street Community Development Corporation (formerly known as the historic Butler Street YMCA). In that position, he established year-round youth programming, launched the March on Washington Film Festival in Atlanta, reestablished the Hungry Club Forum, and secured partnerships with other nonpro ts and governmental agencies that enhanced the organization’s healthy living and social awareness programming.

Students Precious Gibson and Melissa Moyer have received Buick Achievers Scholarships. Each student will receive up to $25,000 that is renewable for up to four years, and one additional year for those entering a quali ed, ve-year engineering program. Gibson is attending Spelman College this fall, while Moyer is attending Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech has been awarded a Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund from Walmart, the Walmart Foundation and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM). Georgia Tech’s collaborative will receive nearly $2 million in funding to further develop the project “CRAFTed With Pride in the USA.” Researchers from Georgia Tech’s CRAFT (Center for Research in Apparel Fabrication Technologies) are collaborating on an automated manufacturing process to create apparel, from blue jeans to T-shirts, without a seamstress.

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s Speakers Series has moved this year to the Atlanta History Center. e public event, designed to share powerful ideas, spark discussion, and inspire change, takes place Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. is year’s theme is “Small Stories, Big Ideas,” and speakers will include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes, author of Garbology: Our Dirty Love A air with Trash; Ann Daniels, recordbreaking polar explorer; Ben Foss, author of e Dyslexia Empowerment Plan; and Alex West, co-founder of the Atlanta-based WonderRoot, a nonpro t with a mission to unite artists and community to inspire positive social change. Also speaking is Bailey Lyles, a 2014 graduate of Holy Innocents’ and UGA freshman, who is building a dance rehabilitation center for victims of sex tra cking. To purchase tickets or learn more about “Small Stories, Big Ideas,” visit HISpeakerseries.org.

Nominations Now Open For 2015

The 7th annual 20 Under 20 will appear in our January 2014 issue and we are now seeking nominations of students 19 years old and younger who have committed themselves to service to the community. Nominations are welcome from teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, siblings, fellow students or community leaders. Here’s the information we need:

• Nominator (name, relationship to nominee and contact information)

• Nominee (Name, age, grade, school, parent or guardian names, contact info)

• Characteristics and service: Please provide a paragraph describing why this nominee deserves recognition. Include service projects, goals, interests and areas of interest to help illustrate your point.

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 31. Please e-mail your nominations to editor Collin Kelley at Collin@atlantaintownpaper.com.