Georgia’s first Afterschool Academy was a huge success! One hundred participants from all over the state gathered in Macon, Georgia for this two and half day training (September 13-15 2006). Attendees represented a good cross-section of the state’s afterschool and youth development providers such as the Boys and Girls Club, 21st Century Community Learning Center, YMCA, and DHR’s new afterschool funds through the TANF program for Summer Youth grantees. Two thirds of the attendees also came from areas outside of Metro Atlanta. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Here is what one afterschool provider who participated in the training had to say:

“After attending the Afterschool Academy Training Session, there were SO MANY CHANGES I wanted to make....Basically, it's turning the program to be more project-based. I feel so much more ‘afterschool literate’ now. We are selling school to students who don't like school, so we have to make it NOT like school....”

This summer, GAIC hired its first summer youth intern— Latonya Colzie. Latonya spent her 9th and 10th grade years at Booker T. Washington High School, and will be attending her 11th and 12th grade years at Clarkston High School. Latonya spent July and August, assisting GAIC in a number of ways: helping staff to prepare for meetings, performing small research projects, and updating GAIC’s rapidly growing mailing list and database. Latonya also created her first resume on the job. When asked to write about her experience working for GAIC, Latonya shared that, “If it wasn’t for GAIC’s phone call, I would have been at home doing nothing this summer.” She also mentions, “If someone asked me how this experience inspired me, I would tell them that this work experience got me to think about my future and beyond.” In the future, GAIC hopes to provide more youth with similar opportunities.