John Lewis Invictus Academy celebrated the ribbon cutting of its new Verizon Innovative Learning Lab. This state-of-the-art space gives students hands-on access to emerging technologies and creative tools that help turn their ideas into reality. The lab is designed to inspire innovation, collaboration, and future-ready skills for the next generation of learners.
Atlanta Public Schools celebrated the ribbon cutting of its eighth Verizon Innovative Learning Lab on Tuesday, February 10, at John Lewis Invictus Academy (JLI).
“We’re at what I call Ground Zero on our STEAM journey, but we’re taking it to the next level and we’re really excited to do that,” JLI Principal Langston Longley said. “In this generation, our students are no longer interested in what they can do when they grow up. They want to do things now.”
The new learning space at the school has been outfitted with new devices and tools that will allow JLI students to explore new technologies as they learn.
Inside the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab, students can explore the world beyond their campus with the virtual reality headsets. They can use the 3D printers to build their ideas from scratch and create something new. Students can also develop their coding skills and test the possibilities in a safe learning environment.
The partnership with Verizon, Arizona State University, and Heart of America has opened the doors for more students, regardless of their zip code, to have access to a high-quality learning environment with modern tools and equipment that will help students prepare for the futures ahead of them.
“These are half a million-dollar investments into these schools,” APS director of instructional technology Natasha Rachel said. “In this lab, students will be designers, engineers, coders, innovators, problem solvers, and entrepreneurs. They will build ideas, test solutions, and develop skills that prepare them for careers that don’t even exist yet.”
The B.E.S.T. Academy at the Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Institute is the latest Atlanta Public Schools (APS) campus to cut the ribbon for its Verizon Innovative Learning Lab.
Through APS’ partnership with Verizon, the students now have a dedicated space where they can explore new technologies that will help them prepare for the future.
B.E.S.T. students, already familiar with the new technology, displayed their aptitude to utilize their new devices for guests at the celebratory ribbon-cutting.
The new learning space not only provides new tools for virtual reality, augmented reality, coding, and 3-D printing, but also presents opportunities for students to apply their curiosities, test hypotheses, and potentially discover future solutions.
Learn more about the APS Verizon Learning Labs:
Sneakers and Scholarship Ball slideshow. Photo credit: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
Twenty Atlanta Public Schools (APS) seniors were awarded $5,000 scholarships each, totaling $100,000, at the second annual Sneakers and Scholarships Ball. The scholarship program was created to provide community and school stakeholders with the opportunity to invest in the futures of students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance, resilience, and determination.
Nearly 300 students applied for the scholarship, which required recommendations from school counselors or principals and a final review by a selection committee.
“This is a great event to bring our philanthropic community together and show how they’ve invested in our students,” APS executive director of Partnerships and Development Joi Hunter said. “As they graduate high school, they will not be alone.”
In addition to the student honorees, five distinguished APS alumni were recognized for their contributions to the advancement of Atlanta as examples of the long-lasting impact of the district’s educational foundation.
Key donors, including Chick-fil-A, Verizon, Peach State Community Fair, and Coca-Cola, were acknowledged for their commitment to support educational and eleemosynary efforts.
Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens reminded students of their potential and the city’s belief in their promise.
Trailblazer and alumni awards, Mayor Andre Dickens, and the ASP Partnership and Development team. Photo credit: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
“You are the city’s future leaders, and we expect big things from you,” Mayor Dickens said. “When we invest in you, we’re also making an investment in Atlanta’s future. An APS education can carry you as far as your dreams can take you.”
APS Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson praised the students for exemplifying the three G’s: growth, grit, and graduation, and applauded their ability to think critically, problem-solve, and execute their plans towards success.
“Hope is important,” Dr. Johnson said. “For students to aspire and achieve at high levels is important. These students are exemplars. We look to replicate this across the district and see all our scholars have that opportunity.”
With growing support from community partners and a continued focus on student success, the Sneakers and Scholarships celebration is quickly becoming a cornerstone of the district’s efforts to celebrate and support academic achievement. Chick-fil-A has already committed to doubling its contribution next year, bringing its total scholarship support to $50,000 for next year’s graduating class.
Here are the 2025 scholarship recipients and award winners:
| Name | High School | Award/Scholarship |
| Addison Jennings | Benjamin E Mays High School | Student Athlete |
| Khady Gueye | Booker T Washington High School | Community Advocacy |
| Bryon Heath, Jr. | Booker T Washington High School | Community Advocacy |
| Elyssa Simmons | Booker T Washington High School | Student Athlete |
| Beli Infantry- Johnson | Charles Drew High School | Entertainment |
| Kaelyn Myers | Charles Drew High School | Entrepreneur |
| Zakia Dowdy | Frederick Douglass High School | Community Advocacy |
| Mahogoney Langston | Frederick Douglass High School | Future Educator |
| Keith Criddell | Frederick Douglass High School | Trailblazer |
| Adonis McCrary | Frederick Douglass High School | Trailblazer |
| Brooke Hancock | George Washington Carver STEAM | Trailblazer |
| Jaeda McMichael | KIPP Atlanta Collegiate | Future Educator |
| Jay’Elle Brown | Maynard Jackson High School | Entertainment |
| Sloan Mitchell | Maynard Jackson High School | Entertainment |
| Aiden Grismore | Maynard Jackson High School | Student Athlete |
| Ellis Stewart | Midtown High School | Community Advocacy |
| Mirella Ogden | North Atlanta High School | Entertainment |
| Gabrielle Culbreth | North Atlanta High School | Entrepreneur |
| Keelin LaHiff | North Atlanta High School | Future Educator |
| Jacoby Barber | North Atlanta High School | Trailblazer |
| Derrick Favors | South Atlanta High School ’09 | Athletic Alumni |
| Georgia Power | N/A | Community Impact |
| Andrea L. Boone | Frederick Douglass High School ’70 | Public Servant |
| H.J. Russell Family | David T. Howard High School | Entrepreneur Alumni |
| Michael “Killer Mike” Render | Frederick Douglass High School ’93 | Entertainment Alumni |
| Walter J. Stanley, III | Charles Lincoln Harper High School ’66 | Trailblazer Alumni |
| Joann Simpson | Luther Judson Price High School ’61 | Educator Impact Award |
I am APS is a special series highlighting students, faculty, alumni, and others in celebration of the rich and diverse experiences, backgrounds and contributions within the Atlanta Public Schools family. Together, we stand in solidarity of our shared admiration of APS and the mission which guides us. #IamAPS
Many of the great opportunities available to APS students come through valued partnerships that provide new and enriching experiences. Making those partnerships work requires a lot of work and collaboration, but it helps when you have an inside woman like Verizon’s director of government affairs and community engagement, Michelle Arrington.
Michelle is a proud product of APS, who graduated from Frederick Douglass High School with the class of 1995. She comes from a family of APS graduates, and her mother worked for the school district for many years. In her role with Verizon, she has been a part of bringing the only four Verizon Innovative Learning Labs in the state of Georgia to APS.
After the unveiling at Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, she shared with us why she’s proud to be an alumni and a partner with APS.
Q: How does it feel to be able to work with APS as an alumni?
A: It’s amazing to be able to have a job where you can also give back to the very same school system that you grew up in. My family were all Atlanta Public Schools graduates from various schools throughout the district. I believe in public school education, and I’m glad that Verizon is investing in these labs across the country for public schools and partnering with them to give students opportunities for digital inclusion.
Q: How did your experience through APS set you on your path?
A: At Frederick Douglass High School, I definitely learned leadership skills. I was the editor of the school newspaper. I was president of the senior class. I was the assistant business manager of the entire student government association. I was president of the communications club, so I did the announcements every morning. It really taught me leadership, the importance of leadership, working with others, and building those core skills I needed and prepared me for college. I definitely felt prepared when I went to Howard University, and leaned on the skills that I learned at Douglass.
Q: What makes you proud to be an APS alumni?
A: I think APS is the best school system in the country. What you learn from the Atlanta Public Schools system, and public school systems in general, is that you get to interact and work with everybody, kids from other walks of life. It makes you a more well-rounded person, and you develop core friendships. My closest friends are people I went to high school with, and we still see each other and get together on a regular basis.
Atlanta Public Schools, in partnership with Verizon and The Heart of America Foundation, is making sure APS students are prepared to use the tools of the future with the opening of two more Verizon Innovative Learning Labs at Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (CSK) and Price Middle School.
“We’re very excited to be here in partnership with APS. One of our corporate social responsibility initiatives is to bridge the digital divide, so we focus on digital inclusion, and this is what this is doing today,” Verizon’s director of government affairs and community engagement Michelle Arrington said. “The Verizon Innovative Learning Labs are focused on giving access to young students in regard to science, tech, education, arts and mathematics. We’re really focused on building up the next generation of STEM leaders and letting them know what’s possible, what they can do and what they can create.”
The Verizon Innovative Learning Labs are equipped with 3D printers, virtual reality headsets and augmented reality. CSK sixth grader Giselle Walker was excited to use the new technology now at her fingertips.
“My first reaction was like, ‘Wow! OMG! How does technology do this?’ and I just really think it’s very cool,” Walker said. “I’m excited about VR because putting on a pair of glasses and seeing a whole new dimension, to me, is very cool. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s a life experience just with glasses on, and you can experience so many different moments from the one you’re in now.”
There are only four Verizon Innovative Learning Labs in the state of Georgia, and all of them are in APS schools. Earlier this year, two labs debuted at Long Middle School and Herman J. Russell West End Academy.
“The access to these tools for the students is invaluable in the sense of we’re here because we are a leadership academy, and we are preparing the leaders of the future,” CSK Verizon Innovative Learning Lab coach Edjohnier Phillips said. “I’m really looking forward to watching the students allow their creativity to bloom using these tools.”
After cutting the ribbon to officially open the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab, the students were able to use their new devices and demonstrated how to use the various digital tools.
“This is a stepping stone to new exposures and experiences that they need to embrace in order to be prepared for the next level of learning in technology,” CSK principal Eulonda Washington said. “The fact that our young ladies of color are underrepresented (in the tech industry) makes it that much more valuable to us because women of color make up 2-3% of the workforce for technology.”
“Being afforded this opportunity is truly a blessing, and it is setting a precedence for letting our girls know the sky is the limit and they have access to the tools to make sure the sky is the limit,” she added. “The students are truly grateful, and they embrace active learning.”
The students at Crawford W. Long Middle School and H.J. Russell West End Academy will be the first in the state of Georgia to have access to the Verizon Innovative Learning Labs, which opened on their respective campuses last Thursday.
Verizon and The Heart of America Foundation partnered with Atlanta Public Schools to help foster digital inclusion through a transformative education initiative called Verizon Innovative Learning.
“Technology and connectivity are incredible enablers for learning, and at Verizon we are committed to digital inclusion and ensuring that students have access to emerging technology and powerful learning opportunities in the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab,” Verizon’s director of community engagement and government affairs said. “This will be an exciting learning experience that will help ignite interest in STEM and an opportunity for everyone to become lifelong learners, creators and problem solvers. We expect this lab will offer opportunities for educators to leverage and integrate emerging technology in the classroom.
What used to be a standard classroom with rows of desks and limited equipment has been completely redesigned and repurposed to introduce the students to a variety of emerging technologies.
“This was about a year and a half transformation process, and this gives our scholars the opportunity to have hands-on engagement lessons and engage with technologies that are beyond the scope of the regular classroom,” Long middle school principal Carla McCall-McCou said.
The students now have access to Ultimates 3D printers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), Spike prime robotics, Sphero RVR dynamic robotic rovers and more in the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab.
“The purpose of this lab is to offer our students real experience with the different resources and technologies that are available,” Long middle school Verizon Innovative Learning instructor Taquoya Portee said. “The new skills, in the STEM world, will allow them to go into different fields and be better equipped and exposed to different areas.”
Evan Flanigan, an eighth-grade student at Long middle school, had little interest in STEM learning until he walked into the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab at his school for the first time. When the class VR headsets put him face-to-face with a great white shark, the initial shock turned into a fun, immersive learning experience.
“Now, when I come to school and I have STEM, I’m happy to come here,” Flanigan said. “The activities are fun. The experience is fun. What we do is really intriguing and I learn a lot in the process.”
The students at H.J. Russell West End Academy were just as excited to show off their Verizon Innovative Learning Lab. School has been open less than a month and the students were already proficient in coding robots through mazes, setting up virtual reality museum tours and creating designs on their 3D printers.
Ni-khole Goulding and her brother Nikoh Goulding, eighth-grade students at H.J. Russell West End Academy, were excited to use the technology they have only had limited experience with.
“I was excited about the VR headsets because last year we were introduced to them, but we didn’t really use them much,” Nikoh said. “Seeing the whole lab and how the technology came together was pretty cool to see how much stuff we were open to.”
Having the Verizon Innovative Learning Labs in Atlanta, at APS, and on campus allows students at Crawford W. Long Middle School and H.J. Russell West End Academy to be prepared for a future with jobs and skills that have yet to be imagined.
“Because of great partners like Verizon Innovative Learning and the Heart of America Foundation, our scholars will be equipped to make a better tomorrow, to build a better tomorrow with tools that they may be touching for the very first time,” Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring said.
Annually, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) kicks off the new school year with its Back-to-School Bash to not only prepare its students for the first day, but also connect them with valuable resources to assist them year-long.
The event presents an opportunity for APS to reinforce the district’s commitment to building connections, confidence, and wellness for the whole child, as well as providing the resources needed to close achievement gaps.
This year’s effort was a great success as a sea of several thousand students and their families descended upon the Georgia World Congress Center on July 22 to receive free backpacks, school supplies, and haircuts.
The excitement could be felt as the Marching Panthers of Carver Early College High School kicked off the event by leading the attendees into the venue and to the stage for an exhilarating welcome by Back-to-School Bash veteran host Ronnel Blackmon of More Than Me, LLC.
Blackmon, now in his fifth year hosting Bash, enjoyed witnessing the tremendous outpour of support from the public.
“It’s a true community of Atlanta celebrating education,” Blackmon said.
Boasting an impressive 200 exhibitors consisting of community, educational and healthcare organizations, the Back-to-School Bash provided something for everyone, including informational handouts, resources, games and giveaways.
“As a principal and a staff member of APS, this event is what it’s all about,” Authur Washington, principal of KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School said. “This year we went above and beyond for our families and all of our stakeholders. This is what the real Atlanta is about. We are a true village.”
Many APS schools and departmental representatives were on hand to assist in registering students for the upcoming year and share with parents how they are committed to upholding the APS5 in order to achieve equity for each scholar.
“The Back-to-School Bash is perfect for us to get a chance to meet the teachers at the school my daughter is going to,” Atlanta Public Schools parent, Vincent Vaughn said. “It’s a good chance to see what’s going to be on the lunch menu and just have an idea of what to expect in the school year coming ahead.”
Importantly, the Back-to-School Bash is a fun and cool experience. It’s a chance for students to get excited about school and physically see the dedication and support they can expect to receive from APS.
Part of the day’s enjoyment was attributed to Blackmon’s high energy which, in part, he credits to an APS principal who stressed the importance of making education and learning fun.
“I feel like all areas surrounding [education] should be exciting,” Blackmon said. “It should be engaging. It should be authentic from the student’s perspective, but also from the teacher’s and the parent’s perspective.”
From the entertainment, career fair, health screenings, and vision screenings, to information surrounding financial literacy assistance, the Back-to-School Bash provided something for every everyone.
Check out these great highlights from this year’s event, including a video recap of the day’s festivities.
Major Impact — Over 35 corporations and non-profits were celebrated and honored at the Back-to-School Bash’s Second Annual VIP Breakfast for their commitment and dedication to the students and families of APS. Among them were this year’s key sponsors: Mercedes Benz USA, Aetna, Amazon, Southwire, Comcast, Grady, Georgia Natural Gas, Microsoft, Equitable and Verizon.
The support of sponsors and donors give APS the ability, through events like the Back-to-School Bash, to be fiscally responsible in the investments they make on behalf of their students.
Additionally under the APS “Adopt a School” initiative, Chick-fil-A, Inc. announced their gift of adopting the APS South Atlanta cluster of schools, and the principals from Humphries Elementary School and Dunbar Elementary School were each surprised with checks for $50,000 by Norfolk Southern.
The program was created to pair schools with corporate donors that can assist in meeting their most pressing needs with in-kind support and monetary donations.
“Our corporate partners are indispensable to the vitality of our programs,” said Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. “These public-private partnerships have been instrumental in our ability to meet the needs of individual schools including providing increased funding for early childhood, career and college readiness programs. We are thrilled to bring our partners together and salute them for their unwavering commitment to scholars, families and the Atlanta community.”
Memorable Moment — Back-to-School Bash attendees were surprised to be greeted by Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens, who assisted APS students with picking out their bookbag for the first day of school.
In addition, many local celebrities and heroes including television and radio personality Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan, who was joined by The Big Tigger Morning Show Crew, came out to interact with the students and their families. Harry the Hawk, mascot of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and Freddie the Falcon, mascot of the Atlanta Falcons football team, both showed their Atlanta spirit and took pictures with APS scholars.