Atlanta Youth Academy (AYA) has one core mission - to provide quality, Christian
education for the urban poor, giving children the necessary stepping stones for
future educational and individual success. Established in the old blacksmith shop
on the FCS Urban Ministries Campus, AYA prides itself on an educational philosophy
that combines personal attention with vital curriculum - reading, writing, mathematics,
history, science - taught by committed teachers who also emphasize strong moral
and character development. The learning environment at AYA nurtures students. By
limiting class size to 12 students and instituting an 11-month school year, AYA
helps students reach their fullest potential.
Atlanta native Larry Teem founded Atlanta Youth Academy in 1997. In the early '90s,
Larry founded and directed the Atlanta Youth Project, an inner-city sports and summer
camp program. After running these programs for several years, Larry realized that
at-risk urban youth needed positive influences surrounding them for more extended
time periods to break the poverty cycle. His vision for Atlanta Youth Academy
was to create a Christian school providing a challenging academic education that
catapults students onto a successful track. Atlanta Youth Academy is the realization
of this vision for a demanding, Christ-centered preparatory school for urban youth.
Atlanta Youth Academy owes much of its current strength to the early sacrifices
of Leroy and Donna Barber. When the school was no more than a dream, they left their
home in Philadelphia to become Atlanta Youth Academy's founding executive director
and founding principal, respectively. Under their early leadership, the school grew
from one teacher, nine students and minimal resources towards the school that AYA
is today.
Atlanta Youth Academy has found that a rigorous, traditional college preparatory
course of study boosts our students to enhanced achievement. AYA draws heavily upon
professional friends at Westminster, Lovett and other respected schools for our
choice of programs.
Having outgrown its original location on Glenwood Avenue, AYA moved to a more spacious
facility in the East Lake community. In January 2008 the school moved to a prime
13-acre site in the Thomasville/Norwood Manor neighborhood of Southeast Atlanta.
Contact Beth Cheatham
(404) 370-1960 ext. 2682