A Westside Story
CEISMC director Lizanne Destefano has a career of experience working in turnaround schools. In early 2015, Destefano knew it was important to launch a project that could connect Georgia Tech to Atlanta Public Schools. Around the same time, APS superintendent Meria Carstarphen was championing a massive revitalization effort that would close and merge multiple schools on the Westside. This Westside Turnaround Plan paved the way for a new K-8 STEM school, M. R. Hollis Innovation Academy. Hollis, with community input, chose to pilot a STEM signature program and the new school’s site was just two miles from Georgia Tech; CEISMC and Hollis made a perfect match... learn more
Hollis Hackers
Hollis Hackers, initiated by Hollis STEM teacher Nichole Jones, is an after-school program for 4th and 5th graders that connects students to STEM through hands-on projects. After Jones established the group, CEISMC brainstormed project ideas for the Hackers and eventually began co-facilitating it. Each week Hollis students stepped outside of the traditional classroom framework through an innovative and fun, project-based curriculum... learn more
Summer Bridge
As the end of the 2017 spring semester approached, CEISMC and Hollis staff began to ponder the upcoming year. Not far off in the distance was Hollis’ flagship year of middle school. Though the 2018 sixth graders will return to the same building, the path they carve will be entirely new. At CEISMC, those involved in the Hollis partnership saw an opportunity to facilitate the transition from elementary school, and came up with the Georgia Tech Summer Bridge program... learn more