How school and adult education help works in AtlantaThis short guide says who to call first and what to expect.Open the guideClose the guide
To finish high school as an adult, take GED classes at a technical college or an adult education center. The classes are free. The test has a fee, and many programs can cover it. See GED and adult education.
To read better, adult reading programs teach one to one or in small classes. They are free and private. See reading help.
For college or a trade, fill out the federal student aid form, called the FAFSA, at studentaid.gov. It is free, and it is how you get a Pell Grant, which you do not pay back. In Georgia, the HOPE Grant pays part of the tuition for certificate and diploma programs at technical colleges. The HOPE Career Grant covers the rest in fields that need workers, such as welding, nursing and truck driving. Apply at gafutures.org. See trade school, college help and scholarships.
For your child, a public school must enroll a child who has no fixed address or is missing papers. Ask for the district's homeless liaison. If your child struggles in school, ask in writing for a special education evaluation. It is free, and Parent to Parent of Georgia, 800-229-2038, helps parents through it. Libraries have free homework help. See tutoring.
Before you sign up for a class, ask when the next one starts, whether there is child care, and whether there is help with bus fare.
This is the Center for a New Generation club at the Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy, part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. Kids and teens come after school for activities like homework help, reading, STEM, music, art, chess, and cooking and gardening. The club also has a summer camp, and families who cannot pay can ask about help with fees.
Georgia State University's Intensive English Program teaches English to adults. It runs an academic English program at the downtown campus, an online option, and a Workforce English program with free classes for immigrants and refugees in Fulton County. Adult ESL classes have morning and evening options.
The Housing Authority of the City of Decatur helps people with low and moderate incomes afford a home. It runs about 400 affordable apartments in downtown Decatur, rents workforce housing, and gives out Section 8 rent vouchers in DeKalb County. Most waiting lists are closed right now, so check with them about when lists open.
The Black Achievement Fund is a nonprofit that collects monthly member contributions to build Black-owned land, community spaces and programs. Members get a free online African history course, and the group runs events and online programs, including some at its Kemet Club on Church Street. Membership is open to anyone who believes in its mission.
The Warren Boys & Girls Club is on Berne Street in Atlanta. It is part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. Kids and teens can join for after-school time with help in school, sports, and leadership programs.
The Woodruff Arts Center is a campus in Midtown Atlanta that is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the High Museum of Art. It offers plays, concerts, and art exhibits. It also runs arts classes, camps, school programs, and a free play space for children from birth to age five.
Westside Works is a job training and career center on Atlanta's Westside. It is an initiative of CareerRise. It offers training in construction, culinary and hospitality, healthcare, and technology, plus career advising, job clubs, and job fairs.
The Alliance Theatre is a professional theater at the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta. It puts on plays and musicals, including shows for families and for babies and toddlers. It also runs classes, teen programs, and programs for schools and teachers.
The King Center is a nonprofit in Atlanta that teaches Dr.'s ideas of nonviolence. People can visit its free campus, take nonviolence trainings, use classroom resources, or do research in its archives. Students, teachers, and volunteers can join its programs.
Washington Park Branch is a public library on Atlanta's Westside. It is part of the Fulton County Library System. You can get a library card, borrow items, use computers and study rooms, and ask staff your questions. The library system's social services team can also connect you to other help in the community.
Grant Park Cooperative Preschool is a parent-run preschool in Atlanta's Grant Park neighborhood. It cares for children from infants to age 5 and uses a play-, art- and nature-based Reggio Emilia-inspired approach. Families help run the school, and morning and extended-day programs are offered Monday to Friday.
Adams Park Library is a branch of the Fulton County Library System in Southwest Atlanta. You can borrow materials, use public computers and free Wi-Fi, and use study and meeting rooms. The branch also hosts children's programs and visits from a library social worker.
Dogwood Library is a neighborhood branch of the Fulton County Library System at 1838 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW. It has a computer lab, study rooms, meeting rooms, and a book return that works after hours. Staff help with research questions, and the branch hosts classes and events for adults, teens, and children.
This is the state office that leads Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education for Georgia's public schools. It helps students get ready for college, a job, an apprenticeship, or the military after high school. It offers career pathways, student clubs, college-credit options, and free career-exploration resources.
The Center for Ethics is part of Emory University in Atlanta. It holds talks, film nights, exhibits, workshops and research seminars about right and wrong in health, the arts, character and leadership. It also teaches Emory students and advises other organizations on ethics.
Sheltering Arms East Lake Center is a nonprofit early childhood center in Atlanta that offers Early Head Start, Head Start, Georgia's Pre-K, and full-day child care for infants through school-age children. The center serves working families, provides free meals, and offers summer camp and before/after-school care for older kids.
The Buckhead Library is a branch of the Fulton County Library System at 269 Buckhead Ave. NE. You can borrow books and media, use free public computers, printing and copies, and book meeting and study rooms. It also has a teen center and classes. The system's Social Services team helps people find referrals and apply for benefits.
Upward Bound is a federally funded college-prep program run by Georgia State University's Student Success Programs. It helps 9th through 11th grade students from low-income or first-generation families in Atlanta, DeKalb, Gwinnett and nearby counties get ready for college through tutoring, Saturday classes, a six-week summer program on campus, and help with college applications. The program also has a track for military veterans working toward college enrollment.
This is the Literature, Media, and Writing Department at Spelman College, a college for women in Atlanta. It used to be called English. Students can major in it or take a minor in creative writing, film and visual culture, or writing.
The Center for Student Wellbeing is part of Emory University's Campus Life. It offers health and wellbeing programs for students. These include online courses, a text challenge, alcohol and cannabis screenings, and free safer sex supplies.
