DEF has partnered with Look for Kind, an initiative established by Decatur resident Marnie Grodzin of Gathered and Grounded. Look for Kind is the perfect antidote to our fractured world – who doesn’t need more kindness in their life? The partnership’s tag line is: See Kind. Be Kind. Do Kind. which perfectly captures what the Decatur community is all about. More details about the initiative are coming soon.
Space designed to help address Decatur High School students’ behavioral health needs Open the doors to the newly redesigned Student Center at Decatur High School and you’ll notice the vibe is noticeably different from the rest of the building. Hardwood style flooring and a living wall of plants makes this space feel more like a cozy living room than a classroom. Look to the left and you will find the Blue Bird Café, honoring the symbolic role bluebirds have played…
Sometimes – even in the midst of a pandemic – all the puzzle pieces come together to create an opportunity in which everyone benefits. In the fall of 2020, registered dietitian and longtime DEF volunteer Jennifer Weissman approached DEF Program and Partnerships Director Marie McCollum about offering a cooking workshop to teens. Jennifer had previously offered cooking classes to several AIM Scholars in previous years. She had just completed training in the Around the Table curriculum, a nutrition program that…
It's that time of year again -- time to Step Up for Teachers! Show your favorite teacher just how much you appreciate their hard work during this school year with a loving tribute. Just go to www.stepupforteachers.com, make a $25 donation and leave your tribute. We'll notify the honored teacher or CSD staff member and deliver a "We Step Up for Teachers" yard sign to your door in the coming weeks. The Step Up campaign supports our teachers in the…
Anyone who works with DHA will tell you, Corey Bivens is the heart of that organization. He oversees all of the youth and family programs at DHS – more than 100 different programs in a given year! He knows every family in DHA who has kids, and knows everyone by name. To them, he’s Mr. Corey. He’s been in the position for more than 6 years, but has worked in that role for over 25 years, and has watched many…
DEAM (Decatur Area Emergency Assistance Ministries) is an independent ministry established in 1973 by Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM) and is supported by 22 area churches to meet the emergency needs of the local community. They serve more than 250 local families a month, providing food and clothing, as well as assistance with utility service and prescription payments. They stock a food pantry and a clothing closet and distribute bagged lunches weekly. When Decatur locked down in March 2020, DEF established…
Forgotten Story of the Civil Rights Leader’s Time in Decatur Comes to Light On October 16, 1960, Martin Luther King, Jr. was illegally sentenced to a prison chain gang after participating in various student sit-ins to desegregate Atlanta restaurants. In the summer of 2019, Decatur High School students Genesis Reddicks, Daxton Pettus, Liza Watson, Adi Taylor, Halle Gordon, Emma Callicutt, and Alonzo Labiosa began to research Dr. King using various county archives and by interviewing multiple individuals who played prominent…
Seventh graders are in the middle of their inaugural non-fiction reading unit of Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. The entire seventh grade at RMS received a copy of the book after local resident and retired professor Pearl McHaney partnered with DEF to launch a fundraiser and purchase the books. Seventh graders read the book in the fall as part of the literary unit that centers on the inquiry statement “It is my responsibility as a global citizen to…
As part of our Covid Learning initiative, DEF established Virtual Pals Tutoring Program to provide extra help for CSD students in the 2nd through 8th grades. Participants are paired with a community volunteer tutor who provides basic homework help, tutoring and virtual learning support. If your student would like to enroll in the program, please fill out this application.
Mathnasium has been a proud and generous sponsor of DEF for several years. They offer both virtual and in-center math instruction for students from first to 12th grade. As a way of giving back to the Decatur community, they have provided scholarships for several students in our AIM Scholars Mentoring Program. They’d like to do more, so they are offering a year-end promotion for new families! For every new Decatur family that registers with Mathnasium using the code DEF_Math until 12-31-20, Mathnasium will…