It is with the support of generous donors like you that we are able to provide the innovative educational and community programs that are an integral part of a holistic and rigorous education, and make our community unique. We are able to serve our special student population with important programs and activities including daily language classes, arts, tutoring, and the IB Programme.
Georgia Gives Day is Tuesday, November 28, but the campaign has officially started. Click on the image to donate.
GAgives and GivingTuesday are two of the fastest-growing giving movements of the past decade, and they team up now, supporting nonprofits. By ICS participating, we get the chance to be part of a worldwide end-of-year giving-season kickoff.
The purpose of GAgives on #GivingTuesday is to empower all Georgia nonprofits to increase funds, gain new supporters, and raise awareness through one 24-hour state-wide marathon of giving. Bringing together thousands of the state’s charities on one full-featured online donation platform, (GAgives.org) they make it easy for nonprofits, like ICS, to raise money online, and easy for Georgians to discover them and donate directly.
For more information, please visit the GA Gives page here: https://www.gagives.org/
Whether you have $1 or $10,000 to give, it all adds up to support our needs, so:
1. Go to www.gagivesday.org
2. Search for International Community School
3. DONATE… and share this news with family and friends!
Since it is the school’s 15th anniversary, we want to launch a campaign for the 15 days leading up to GA Gives Day on Giving Tuesday. We are calling it #15for15, and we want stories to represent our 15 years. These stories have been posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram since 15 days prior to 11/28. Don’t follow social media? Here are the stories:
#1: “I wanted to share with you about when I was teaching a cultures and languages program for after school. We had more than 10 different languages we taught. After we finished the program, we had a festival with traditional food, music and dance. I wish we could bring back this program to our beloved community at ICS.”
# 2: Changing from the public school system to International Community Charter School has been such a wonderful experience for me. There is this awesome, welcoming, and positive vibe as soon as you walk in the school. Becoming familiar with all the different personalities and cultures has helped me to grow more as a teacher and an individual. #GaGives on #GivingTuesday #ICS. Follow the link to give early or begin planning your gift today when 11/28 arrives! https://www.gagives.org/c/GGD/a/icsgeorgia/
# 3: I like to say that ICS shaped my life 15 years ago. A school was opening near where I lived, and ended up interviewing in the kitchen of Sister Patty’s house, one of the founders, not realizing the effect that this small school would have in me. At ICS, I have “traveled the world”. I interact with open-minded and caring individuals every day; people who see the heart and talents of others, not looks and limitations. ICS is a special place. You just have to experience it for yourself, and have your life enriched by it.
#4: CCRPI (College and Career Readiness Performance Index) is one of the ways schools in the state of Georgia show that their academic program is helping students learn. For the 2016-2017 school year, ICS earned 76.9 points, a 14 point increase from the 2015-2016 school year. The state elementary school average increased 1.1 points to 73.9, while the DeKalb County elementary school average increased 4.8 points to 67.9. If you have spent time at ICS, you have seen the difference that our model of education makes on our students. Our CCRPI score simply confirms the hard work our teachers and staff are doing every day. If you want help our students continue learning at high levels, consider making a donation to one of our many projects on Georgia Gives Day. All donations are appreciated and will help give students more learning opportunities! We were featured in a GCSA article you can find here: https://gacharters.org/newsletter/17437/ #GaGives on #GivingTuesday
#5: Recently after learning of a family that suffered a terrible loss in Clarkston, my second grade English class told me that they wanted to do something to help the family. They made cards for the family, wrote up a fundraising proposal, made jewelry to sell, put up signs to advertise, made morning announcements, and sold their jewelry in the morning before school. They will donate all of that money to the family. I love working in a school where there is a focus on caring for others and where kids feel empowered to do something to help someone in need.
#gagives on #givingtuesday Link to give: https://www.gagives.org/c/GGD/a/icsgeorgia
#6: Although I’ve lived in metro Atlanta for almost 30 years, I had not heard of ICS until my granddaughter enrolled for Kindergarten. I had no idea what a special environment she was in until I dropped by the school one morning. The surrounding neighborhood, in response to the recent immigration ban actions, had blanketed the school’s entrance with posters showing their love and support. After all the immigration ban news and the related fear mongering, it was incredibly heartwarming to see evidence of a community who said again and again “You belong here” and “This land was made for you and me.” It renewed my faith in the American welcoming spirit. I am very thankful that my granddaughter (now a happy first-grader) is a part of a welcoming community that values inclusion, respect, and educational excellence. This school and its students give me hope that we are moving toward “the beautiful mosaic” that President Carter talked about. #gagives on #givingtuesday https://www.gagives.org/c/GGD/a/icsgeorgia#
#7: I was working on writing sentences with a few third grade girls. One of the girls was writing about her hip hop dance class and I casually mentioned, “Oh, I have always wanted to take a hip hop dance class, but I am so clumsy I would probably embarrass myself.” Making the most serious face, one of the girls met my eyes with hers and said, “Who cares?! Just go for it!” I have gone to two hip hop dance classes now without a care in the world. This is the beloved community. #ICS #girlpower #gagives on #givingtuesday https://www.gagives.org/c/GGD/a/icsgeorgia#
#8: Back when I was a homeroom teacher, I always enjoyed having the parents come in to teach a specific concept to my class. It was interesting to have parents from many cultures participate and to hear them explain how they learned concepts like time and money when they were young. It really showed me how diverse our community is at ICS and how we all have so much to bring to the table. https://www.gagives.org/c/GGD/a/icsgeorgia# #gagives on #givingtuesday
#9: This student hasn’t been in the US long, but he’s working hard to catch up with the other students in his class. In August, he was shy and afraid to talk in class, but now he’s volunteering to help classmates and sharing his answers to the whole group. His family talks about how much he enjoys coming to school. Thankfully at ICS, his story isn’t unique. ICS fosters growth in students new to the country and encourages students to learn in a safe and loving environment. #gagives on #givingtuesday
#10: Last year was my first year at ICS. I was excited to get to know the students and families. No one could have prepared me for how accepting the students have been. They are always there to help support whatever club I would like to start, or come and ask if I need help with any project. I am so impressed by the global citizens and leaders that walk in the hallways every day and I know they are going to achieve great things. #15for15 #gagives on #givingtuesday
#11: Happy Thanksgiving! Today we are letting our students tell our #15for15 story on what they love about ICS, and boy, do they have a lot to be thankful for! At ICS, we are thankful for YOU! Show your thanks on #gagives on #givingtuesday 11/28.
#12: At ICS, each See Beautiful Club is started with a journal entry. Last meeting, one of the girls started with a journal entry (and followed it up with a clarification conversation), that because they were all united in the mission of their club, it made them sisters. I always hoped See Beautiful would connect people and build stronger relationships- leave it to a child to make one weak at the knees, declaring that it brings on sisterhood. – Founder of @seebeautiful Club #gagives on #givingtuesday #ICS#seebeautiful
#13: My name is Htwe Htwe. I am from Burma. I started working at ICS in 2004. I taught in the after school program until 2005 when I became a Teacher Assistant. I love this school; ICS is my second home. I have learned English at ICS, as English is my second language. My students are wonderful love birds from different countries and we are here for them. We work from our heart and learn from them too. #Love #gagives on #givingtuesday
#14: These 3 smiles, along with 21 others, are the reason I choose to serve as an educator. Exploring with these littles has been a beautiful and messy journey. #gagives on #givingtuesday
The following is information from www.georgiagivesday.org
Why Georgia Gives Day?
Georgia Gives Day is an opportunity for everyone, in every corner of the state, to support the causes that make Georgia great. Many of us give to and volunteer for causes. Yet there are many of us who aren’t directly asked to give or to volunteer. Many of us want to give but aren’t sure what nonprofit to support or don’t know what their donation might do to make a difference.
Georgia Gives Day is an initiative that has been co-created by the nonprofit sector itself. It doesn’t support one cause or one locale – it’s all of us in the state’s nonprofit sector pulling together to ask you to stop and consider your life and your community without nonprofits. How much less connected, less vibrant, less interesting and less supported would our communities be without them?
So, we are asking all Georgians, on November 17th, to give a little and share a little so that, together, we can do a lot for the causes that we all care about. Whether you have $10 or $10,000 to give, it all adds up to greater impact on the issues that support and enrich our lives and make our local communities thrive.
About the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN)
Georgia Gives Day is a collaboration of Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN) in partnership with participating nonprofits, state agencies, corporations and businesses, associations, foundations, and public relations and advertising firms.
GCN’s vision is to build the country’s highest performing state-focused resource center, and to position Georgia as a national model for nonprofit excellence and achievement. GCN is on a journey inspired by our belief that nonprofits are essential components of a healthy democracy and thriving communities, and by our conviction that strong nonprofits working together can achieve anything they desire.
