$500K from The Peach Bowl will help students with post-pandemic learning
Donation to help boost academic recovery in metro Atlanta
Atlanta Peach Bowl just made a huge contribution to the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. A half million dollars will go toward academic recovery. The club says its necessary considering kids’ reading and math scores have yet to rebound from virtual learning during the pandemic.
ATLANTA - The Peach Bowl just made a $500,000 contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. The grant will go toward academic recovery. The club says it is necessary considering kids’ reading and math scores have yet to rebound from virtual learning during the pandemic.
"Kids out of the pandemic are about four months behind in math and 3 months behind in reading," the club's CEO, David Jernigan, said.
That's why the governor provided the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta with a multimillion-dollar grant. It was Emergency Education Relief funding.
"That grant has run out," Jernigan said. "It expired in the end of September, so The Peach Bowl has allowed us to continue sustaining through the New Year."
The $500,000 grant will go directly to resources for 7,000 metro Atlanta kids across 10 counties. Parents pay $100 a year for extended tutoring based on a sliding income scale. With The Peach Bowl funds, participating families will see more helping hands around facilities.
"It allows us to hire certified teachers in after-school hours, the summers. I also allows us to provide extra support on top of what they get," he said.
Organizations have gotten creative with ways to fundraise for additional learning.
"This grant was made possible with a concert," he explained. "It has opened doors for us."
There are other academic recovery programs out there. This spring, FOX5 told you about Atlanta Public Schools' free summer sessions. They aim to slow the summer slide and catch students up on what they didn't learn in online classes during pandemic lockdowns.