President G. P. “Bud” Peterson Experiences the Richness of the Westside
On Halloween Day 2016 President G. P. “Bud” Peterson and a small team of GT employees made a special visit to Atlanta’s Westside. He visited the historic Paschal’s Restaurant for lunch as well as three sites where Georgia Tech is making an impact with its consistent presence. Approximately three years ago President Peterson presented an overview of Georgia Tech’s global, national, statewide, and local reach at a community meeting. During his presentation he amplified Dean Jacqueline Jones Royster’s Westside Communities Alliance (WCA) initiative as an emerging university-community partnership program. As the director for the WCA, I was pleased to have an opportunity to showcase our accomplishments and to introduce many of the partners we work with daily to make a difference.
During the brief luncheon President Peterson heard from community stakeholders, elected officials, philanthropists, and Tech employees about the investments we are making in westside communities and schools. Mackenzie Madden, WCA Associate Director, presented a timeline of events and a map of activities in each community served by the WCA and the many campus and community partners with whom we work.
Next, President Peterson and the Government and Community Relations team visited Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy, where CEISMC partners with Atlanta Public Schools to provide onsite professional development and STEM teacher support year-round. Principal Diamond Jack welcomed the GT team and introduced us to her stellar students, active parents and dynamic STEM teachers. Tamara Pearson, CEISMC Associate Director, shared details about the ongoing professional development support provided onsite at Hollis and the teachers and administration were gracious for the support of the partnership. After hearing students praise their new school and describe their plans to be successful as adults, President Peterson encouraged all of them to consider Georgia Tech the place to pursue their academic dreams. He also assured parents and teachers of the many academic opportunities for students get involved and join educational programs at a young age.
From there, the team headed to the WCA’s Westside Resource Center where we have partnered with Sister Precious Muhammad of Hagar CTM to provide a community-based computer lab since December 2014. Sister Precious expressed deep gratitude for Georgia Tech’s westside engagement and lauded Tech for doing “second chance hiring.” Unemployment continues to be a major issue for westside community residents who often take advantage of the computers to search and apply for jobs. President Peterson also learned of our partnership with Atlanta Community Food Bank, allowing us to expand hours and services such as public benefits screenings. He met with additional partners such as Operation HOPE, Spelman College, and Georgia Tech’s Human Resources division to hear about the various workshops and volunteer support we have been able to coordinate in the space.
Finally, he visited with children at the Bellwood Boys and Girls Club on Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy where we were greeted by Ben Ashby, President of YEP! (Youth Enrichment Project). YEP! is one of the few GT student organizations that have mentored/tutored youth for more than fourteen years on a regular basis. They currently run math and science experiments as well as sports and homework help on Friday afternoons during the academic year. President Peterson thanked the organization for their long-standing commitment to these westside communities.
In less than a few hours we were able to connect President Peterson with many community leaders, residents, youth, and partners to provide him with a snapshot of the impact Georgia Tech is having on Atlanta’s Westside. At the end of the day I think he could clearly see and wholeheartedly agree with our motto, “Together, we can do better!”