CMU in Atlanta Community Outreach

CMU in Atlanta Reaches out to the Community

Community is an important word at CMU’s Atlanta Center. The staff is always looking for new ways to help improve the life of children and adults and spread educational opportunities to everyone in their area. Recently, the students at two elementary schools in the Atlanta area have joined in partnerships with Central Michigan University through its Metro Atlanta Center.

At Clifton Elementary School and A.D. Williams Elementary School, students are getting something innovative from an educational partnership with CMU’s Atlanta Center. CMU began working with the schools in October of 2005, monitoring examinations, creating certificates for students with perfect attendance and honor roll students of the month, and has donated reams of paper, pens, pencils and other supplies. CMU also provides teacher and staff development.

“Our involvement with A.D. Williams has been so heartwarming,” says Barbara Valentine, Promotion and Orientation Coordinator. “The school is the center of the community. They have the highest meal participation in Georgia.

Ninety-nine percent of the students live on four streets in 650 apartments.” When the Atlanta Center moved to its new location in June, CMU Atlanta donated some of their desks and student chairs to the school. The efforts of the staff have not gone unnoticed. One class wrote, “We would like to thank you for all that you have done for our school so far. We, the students of the fourth grade, are grateful for you supporting our school. We look forward to you continuing being a part of our lives.”

The work is being done as part of the Atlanta Partners for Education, created in 1981 with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, which provides a vehicle for Atlanta’s business and larger community to support its schools. In 1990, the program was merged into the Chamber’s Education department. The program is based on the belief that active involvement in the schools provides a deeper understanding of education and what is needed to make a positive difference in the lives of school children.