A one-of-a-kind program will be celebrated by a one-of-a-kind school system next week when Atlanta Public Schools pays homage to its great protectors with APS School Crossing Guard Recognition Week (Jan. 24-28). The week will culminate with Awards and Recognition Day on Friday, Jan. 28, at 9:30 a.m. in the Brewer Building (2352 Bagwell Drive SW, Atlanta GA 30315).
With its launch in the fall of 2008, the program became the first certified school crossing guard program in Georgia and one of a few in the United States, according to APS School Crossing Guard Supervisor Carole Willis. School Crossing Guards (SCGs) receive 12 1/2 hours of initial training, eight hours of recertification (each year of their employ), Willis said. Most of the 85 SCGs are CPR/AED certified (via APS) and receive an overview of child-abuse information as part of their training.