13th Annual Atlanta Public Schools CTAE Golf Tournament Raises Over $100,000

The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) program and title sponsor Smart Choice Technologies hosted the 13^th annual benefit golf tournament at the historic East Lake Golf Club just before the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

The golf tournament raised $106,900 for the CTAE program and brought together several of the program’s most generous donors for an afternoon of friendly competition at the home of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup Championship.

“This tournament is a big deal for us because we raise a lot of funds thanks to our great sponsors to help kids in the APS CTAE program,” APS CTAE Board Chair Myron Williams said. “This isn’t a one-person show. This is a big group of people who see value in educating students and putting them on a career path that’s going to make them successful in life. It’s a big undertaking, and we’re just grateful for all the people that give us love and show us that they’re willing to support and help us.”

The APS CTAE program provides students with interdisciplinary and technical skills, equipping them with the knowledge and abilities businesses and industries seek for high-demand, high-skilled, and high-wage occupations. These programs prepare students for a wide range of careers requiring varying levels of education, including high school, technical training, two and four-year degrees and post-baccalaureate programs. CTAE courses support core academics by providing opportunities to apply academic theories and principles to real-world learning experiences in a hands-on environment.

“Our overall goal is to increase our funding to support our students,” APS CTAE director Mary Shepherd said. “That funding goes toward supporting students as it relates to offsetting internship opportunities, exposure opportunities, industry tours, and supporting teachers with incentives, recognition, and award ceremonies. Anything that would support our teachers and ensure our students are prepared for their ‘Next’.”

Funds raised also allows the CTAE program to provide scholarships and additional support to students who may need it. In previous years, fundraiser proceeds have helped an aspiring photography student purchase a new camera, covered certification fees, and provided laptops for students who may not have otherwise been able to afford them. One year, the funds supported a student exchange program with Toulouse, France.

The CTAE program offers students, regardless of their grade point average, opportunities to explore a variety of career paths and apply what they learn in the classroom to the trades, industries or careers that interested them.

While each APS school offers unique career pathways based on student interests, students from different schools also have an opportunity to delve into different career pathways at the Atlanta College and Career Academy (ACCA).

ACCA offers Georgia Department of Education pathways in areas such as dental science, HVAC & refrigeration, graphic design, criminal investigation, culinary arts, and patient care.

“A lot of times, students don’t have a direction. They don’t know what they really want to do,” APS CTAE consultant Brené Culpepper said. “It makes it really hard to go into class every day when you really don’t know why you’re there.”

“To be honest, learning what they like to do is just as important as learning what they don’t want to do,” she added. “Getting an opportunity to work in CTAE programs and take those classes allows them to get a feel for what those industries require. It better prepares them to make post-secondary choices, whether that’s going to college, the workforce, or trade schools.”

Thank you to all the incredible partners and sponsors who support the APS CTAE program and its students. For more information about the program, visit the APS CTAE website.  

13^th annual CTAE Benefit Golf Tournament Sponsors:

Title Sponsor – Smart Choice Technologies

Silver – Balfour Beatty

Silver – Carroll Daniels

Silver – Dailin Applied

Silver – Georgia Mechanical

Silver – Parrish Construction

Silver – Perkins + Will

Silver – Winter Construction

Bronze – JE Dunn Construction

Lunch – Ajax Building

CTAE Partner – Brent & Rhonda Bailey

CTAE Partner – Carroll Daniel

CTAE Partner – Myron Williams

Hole Sponsor – CERM