Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Albany presented the Albany Tech Foundation with a donation check for $5,000. Funds were designated to be used for the Albany Tech Engineering Preparatory Academy, Adult Education and the Special Populations program.

“At Mount Zion, we earnestly understand the value of quality education and appreciate the role Albany Tech plays in providing students both opportunities and access to an exceptional educational experience,” said Dr. Daniel Simmons, Senior Pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. “You’ve got the right people, and they are making a significant difference in the lives of your students, as well as your community partners like us.”

Albany Tech’s Engineering Preparatory Academy was launched in 2016 as part of a grant the college received designed to target students in grades eight through 12 to consider exploring careers in the field of engineering. The EPA is an extension of a grant Albany Tech received in 2012 targeted at high school students in engineering and robotics. Several Albany and surrounding county students have benefitted from the engineering and robotics program at Albany Tech, some of which have moved on to pursue higher degrees in the field at universities such as Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Savannah State University, and others.

The Adult Education program at Albany Tech serves more than 1,000 students in the Southwest Georgia region each year. The program prepares students for the General Education Development test, which allows for the high school dropout to gain an advantage in the workforce. Many of the Adult Education students are able to dual enroll in the GED program and work on an academic program through the Ability to Benefit program. Almost 25 of Albany Tech’s academic programs qualify for AtB.

Albany Tech’s Special Populations program serves hundreds of students each year and is designed to assist students with support services, resource referrals, customized workshops and life skills, as well as provide effective guidance to assist students in overcoming barriers to stay in school and achieve their goals.

Mt. Zion has designated that the funds be used as follows: Engineering Preparatory Academy ($3,000); Adult Education ($1,000); and Special Populations ($1,000).