By Diona Williams
PBL Coordinator at Purpose Built Schools Atlanta
At Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, we define ourselves as a group of individuals who are committed to racial justice and equity.
We empower students to become change agents who create positive, long-lasting impact in their communities. We do this through authentic and culturally relevant project-based instruction alongside enrichment, a safe and positive climate and culture, and student and family supports.
Through project-based learning, students at Thomasville Heights Elementary School, Slater Elementary School, Price Middle School and Carver STEAM Academy explore racial justice and equity and develop real-life solutions to make change in their communities. Learn more about project-based learning (PBL).
This fall, our PBL projects will be filled with culturally relevant topics to engage and inspire students–even while learning remotely.
Slater Elementary School
Fifth graders will explore how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the African American community by studying the spread of the coronavirus across demographics and neighborhoods in Atlanta. In a virtual environment, students will create Instagram pages to raise their voices and challenge elected officials to make change.
Thomasville Heights Elementary School
Fourth graders will explore how living in a food desert affects health and wellness and why certain stores and resources aren’t in their neighborhoods. They will advocate city leaders to make changes to their plans to ensure more resources come to their communities. Fifth graders will learn more about their community’s response to COVID-19 by interviewing community members about how they have been impacted by the pandemic. They will work together to create hand sanitizer and masks to help supply low-income neighborhoods with needed safety resources. Students will research and target organizations at the local, state and international levels to donate the products.
Price Middle School
Students at Price will have the opportunity to be agents of change within their own school community. Students will write the first official student handbook for Price by examining local politics and leaders, the pandemic and social justice.
Carver STEAM Academy
Students at Carver STEAM will dive deeper into city planning and zoning in Atlanta by reimagining their own neighborhoods. They will work with city planners to determine what they want to change or add to their communities, such as stores, resources and access to health care. They will advocate for their plans to be adapted by city planners to help influence the future development of their communities.