OUR STORY
June 2020
The death of George Floyd and subsequent protest compel Matt and Sarah Ryan to launch GoFundMe resulting in the formation of ATL Advance The Lives.
April 2021
After spending the past year consulting with various members of the community and people across the country, Matt and Sarah hire Taylor Stanley as Program Director, to lead the work.
May 2021
ATL establishes relationship with Atlanta Police Foundation At-Promise Youth Centers.
August 2021
ATL Launches the Overcoming Barriers Grant for organizations seeking support for a one time purchase that immediately addresses a daily barrier to opportunity and advancement for Black youth.
January 2022
ATL begins the development of the Black Youth Support Study Pilot with At-Promise Youth Centers, Chris180 and the Center for Evaluation and Research Services at Georgia State School of Education and Human Development.
June 2022
Matt and Sarah attend grand opening of new Learning Space established Overcoming Barriers grant recipient, PAACT in the Grove Park community
November 2022
ATL partners with Quarterback Marcus Mariota’s Motiv8 Foundation and Shoes That Fit to provide shoes to the students at Carver STEAM Academy to encourage them to join Next Generation Men and Women.
2023 and Beyond…
ATL Black Youth Support Study
Many youth development programs work to advance the lives of Black youth by improving educational outcomes, supporting social emotional development, and by creating opportunities for economic mobility. However, family factors such as financial and housing instability also have an impact on youth outcomes. As a result, in order to improve the outcomes of their youth, many organizations are formally and informally spending time and resources, including money, providing and identifying wrap around services support for the youth they serve, and their families. This current method, however, is not sustainable and does not get to the root of systemic factors impacting the safety nets of Black youth and their families.
Objectives
Collaborate with partner after school programs to address emergency needs of Black youth via emergency financial support and community collaboration.
Measure the frequency and impact of emergencies experienced by partner program attendees and their families across key categories.
Identify gaps in support for Black youth and their families by collecting data via casework, reports and surveys to track the overall experience of Black children and families navigating emergencies in Atlanta.
Develop hypotheses for potential solutions to more effectively address the needs of Black youth and families in Atlanta.