Through the efforts of hundreds of Georgia-Pacific employee volunteers, students at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School in Atlanta are getting a more enriching educational experience. Award by the Atlanta Partners for Education, a joint program between the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Public Schools. Parents, teachers and administrators have experienced a rebirth of commitment, determination and dedication, and they now believe that hope can be restored and quality education can become the norm at this school. This is one of the greatest accomplishments of our partnership. Employees forgo their lunch hour one day each week and spend that hour helping a student improve his or her reading skills.
Employees work in teams of two, sharing the responsibility for tutoring one student.
G-P offers periodic training and support sessions to tutors during the school year, which provides time to reflect with teachers on student progress, and gives tutors a chance to share experiences with each other. The Atlanta Big Brothers and Big Sisters program provides support to tutors on social or child development issues. Georgia-Pacific's partnership with M. Agnes Jones Elementary is strongly supported by the company's senior management. Personally, I've found great joy learning and working with the students to help unlock a treasure chest of possibilities for the future.