ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Office of Communications and Public Engagement
130 Trinity Avenue SW | Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Seth Coleman, Director of Media & Social Media
404-802-2891, office
404-345-8630, cell
seth.coleman@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Jasmine Mosley, Media Relations Manager
404-802-2888, office
404-937-0473, cell
jasmine.mosley@atlanta.k12.ga.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2024
Atlanta Public Schools Weekly News Tip Sheet
(August 12 - 17, 2024)
Editors/Producers/Reporters: The following is a list of events, programs, accomplishments, and/or initiatives occurring in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) this week. Please use it as a guide as you develop your coverage plans.
Members of the media are invited to attend all events on the Weekly APS News Tip Sheet. If you have an interest in these stories, please contact Seth Coleman, Director, Media & Social or Jasmine Mosley, Media Relations Manager.
Thank you for your interest in Atlanta Public Schools!
APS Educator Selected for Prestigious Amazon Fellowship
Atlanta Public Schools Educational Technology Specialist Dominique Harbour has been selected to participate in a prestigious fellowship program by Amazon.
Harbour will be an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador. She was chosen as one of only 50 educators nationwide for this competitive two-year, paid fellowship, where she will play a vital role in bringing computer science education and career exploration to students throughout Atlanta Public Schools.
The Amazon Future Engineer initiative is a global philanthropic program focused on increasing equitable access to high-quality computer science education for children and young adults.
One of Harbour’s first major projects will be to conduct a local listening tour, engaging with students, parents, educators, and community leaders to understand the barriers and challenges they face in STEM and computer science education. This understanding will help shape the future of computer science curricula.
Harbour will also pilot innovative instructional strategies for teaching computer science in the classroom and receive professional development training opportunities. Additionally, she will connect with a nationwide network of like-minded STEM educators to share best practices.
Harbour was selected for the program’s 2024 cohort through a highly competitive process based on her outstanding expertise in computer science and steadfast commitment to providing equitable access to computer science education.
Now in her 11th year in APS, Harbor works with students in all grade levels at L.O. Kimberly Elementary School, Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy, and Sarah Smith Primary and Sarah Smith Intermediate. Originally from Los Angeles, she holds a bachelor’s degree in child development from Spelman College, a master’s degree in educational psychology from Georgia State University, and a specialist degree in instructional technology form Kennesaw State University.
Atlanta College & Career Academy Only Georgia School Announced as Finalist in U.S. Department of Education’s Career Z Challenge
Atlanta College & Career Academy has been announced as one of the 10 finalists for the U.S. Department of Education’s Career Z Challenge, a multi-phase federal prize competition to expand high school students’ access to high-quality work-based learning (WBL).
The 10 finalists will receive tailored technical assistance to accelerate the expansion and sustainability of their WBL initiatives during a third and final phase of the Challenge. Each finalist who completes the Phase 3 requirements will be eligible to receive a prize award of $150,000.
The 10 finalists were selected from a diverse pool of 73 semi-finalists representing schools from 34 states. ACCA is the only school from Georgia to make the list of finalists.
During the 2023-2024 school year, semi-finalists participated in a community of practice and received technical assistance through learning workshops, cohort working groups, and topical discussions. A panel of judges with subject matter expertise in secondary and post-secondary education, business and industry, and workforce development, reviewed and scored the semi-finalists’ submissions. Based on the review results, the USDOE selected 10 finalists to participate in Phase 3 of the Challenge, which will take place during the 2024-2025 school year.
(Wednesday, August 14; 4:30, 7:30 PM | Friday, August 16; 4:30 PM) Three APS Teams to Compete in One of Nation’s Top Season-Launching Events
Three Atlanta Public Schools teams will compete this weekend in one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious events signaling the start of the 2024 high school football season.
Frederick Douglass High School, North Atlanta High School, and Daniel M. Therrell High School will participate in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic, a schedule of 10 games spread over four days at five locations, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Douglass will start things off in one of the first games to be played in Georgia when the Astros take on LaGrange, Wednesday, 4:30 p.m., at Kell High School in Marietta. Douglass features one of the states’ top players in senior defensive back Jontae Gilbert, who most recently committed to Georgia.
Following that contest, North Atlanta will face host Kell at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors won nine games last season, the most in school history.
Therrell will travel to Dacula to face Hebron Christian Academy on Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Panthers are coming off one of their best seasons in school history as they advanced to the state playoffs for the first time since 2002 and won nine games for the first time since winning 10 in 1979.
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About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 87 learning sites, including 59 neighborhood schools, 5 partner schools, 19 charter schools, 2 citywide single-gender academies, and 2 alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, follow us on social media – Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) – or visit us online at www.atlantapublicschools.us.
