Gov. Nathan Deal announced the six award winners who will participate in the Innovation Fund Accelerator, a competitive grant opportunity that provides funding to local educational agencies, regional educational service agencies, traditional public schools and charter schools to develop innovative programs that address challenging and complex educational issues.
 
“The Innovation Fund Accelerator connects leaders in education with additional resources to develop innovative solutions that improve student achievement,” said Deal. “By investing in programs that address the challenges facing our education system today, we are building a stronger foundation for Georgia’s students to succeed in the classroom of tomorrow and the workforce of the future. Congratulations to the award winners and we look forward to learning how each innovative program will improve opportunities for student growth and success.”
 
Award winners will receive a $10,000 grant to support activities directly related to Innovation Fund Accelerator participation. Upon successful completion of the Innovation Fund Accelerator, participants can apply for an additional grant of up to $45,000 to pilot the innovative programs they developed.
 
Programs supported by the Innovation Fund Accelerator must align with one of the four following priority areas: applied learning with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education, development and replication of blended and personalized learning school models, birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development, and teacher and leader development for high-need schools.
 
The grant award winners and their respective programs are listed below:
 
Applied Learning with a Focus on STEAM Education
 
Peachcrest Elementary School
DeKalb County School District
The Peach Goes Green
 
West Jackson Elementary School
Jackson County School System
AIM Higher
 
Birth-To-Age-Eight Language and Literacy Development
 
Carrollton City Schools
Literacy Without Limits
 
Villa Rica Elementary School
Carroll County School System
Improving Early Literacy
 
Teacher and Leader Development for High-Need Schools
 
Department of Juvenile Justice
Operation Turnaround: Recruit, Retrain, and Retain
 
Latin Grammar School
Fulton County Schools
Teachers are Brain Surgeons