Inside Atlanta Youth Academy: It Starts With Pre-Kindergarten

"My favorite things about AYA are the children" says Pre-Kindergarten teacher Angela Simpson and this sums up what Pre-K is all about at AYA. Atlanta Youth Academy's youngest class, the Pre-K is a time for kids to begin learning the fundamentals of letters and numbers as well as life skills and money management, all through constructive play that supports the idea that children should be allowed to simply be children. Watch this short video featuring Mrs. Simpson and her Pre-K class.

Tuskegee Airmen Come to Atlanta Youth Academy

On Tuesday, March 9, Atlanta Youth Academy was extremely honored to host a group of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviators, who bravely defended our country in World War II.


Students, faculty, friends as well as students from various other schools gathered to hear these brave pioneers talk about their experiences in the war, from training to fighting and life afterward. The men took a number of questions from the excited audience.


AYA was proud to have an opportunity to celebrate these living heroes!

Inside Atlanta Youth Academy: A Word From Founder, Larry Teem

(Atlanta Youth Academy Founder, Larry Teem)

Larry Teem founded the Atlanta Youth Academy in 1997 after years of working with Atlanta's inner-city youth at the Techwood Homes and other areas in the city. An Atlanta native, Teem grew up in Buckhead and attended the Lovett School going from there to Auburn University where he studied business. Teem's vision for Atlanta Youth Academy was to provide a northwest-Atlanta quality school to students from Atlanta's most overlooked neighborhoods.

We took a few minutes to interview Larry Teem and hear first-hand about the founding of AYA and the original vision for the school. Watch the interview below!

AYA Warriors Win Middle School Basketball Championship

Parents, friends and faculty all turned out last Saturday to watch the Atlanta Youth Academy Warriors take top prize in the Middle School Basketball final! It was a proud night for AYA as the Middle School Boys won their final play-off game, to take the region title!

Inside Atlanta Youth Academy: Chad Pritchard and Sidney Omulo

There are a number of great things about teaching at Atlanta Youth Academy and just as many great things about attending as a student. Junior High teacher Chad Pritchard and 6th grade student Sidney Omulo took a moment to tell us their favorite things about AYA. Check out their video below!

A Word from the Principal: Why Mr. Lockwood Loves His Job

Derrick Lockwood, Principal of Atlanta Youth Academy, is a busy man. When he's not working with teachers and parents to make AYA the incredible place of caring and academics that it is, he is interacting one-on-one with the students themselves, guiding them not only through the difficulties of elementary school and junior high, but through issues that pertain to their relationship with God and their path through life.

We caught up with Mr. Lockwood and asked him to answer the question, "What is your favorite thing about being the principal of Atlanta Youth Academy?"

AYA Students Meet Naomi Tutu

On Tuesday night, several Atlanta Youth Academy students had the opportunity to hear an intimate address from Naomi Tutu, daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Her topic was "Finding Common Ground" and she challenged her audience to listen to the stories of people other than themselves. She stated,

"The only way to build common ground is to recognize and speak our differences."

(AYA Students and Administrators with Naomi Tutu)

Watch "Seeds of Hope" a Short Film about Atlanta Youth Academy

Directed by Atlanta native Michael Lines (Abiyoyo Productions), "Seeds of Hope" premiered to a very special crowd of Atlanta Youth Academy students, friends and supporters in the fall of 2009. Now available for online viewing, this short film tells the powerful story of the Atlanta Youth Academy and some of its students.

Take a moment to watch the film and then feel free to share it with anyone who might be appreciate this moving testimony to the work of AYA.

Seeds of Hope from Atlanta Youth Academy on Vimeo.

AYA Students Win Top Prizes in W.E.B. Du Bois Society Essay Contest

Two Atlanta Youth Academy students won top prizes in the W.E.B. Du Boise Society's recent essay contest. The theme of the contest was "I Rise", essays about overcoming. 8th grader Kaelin Matthews took 2nd place and 6th grader Christopher Johnson placed 3rd for their excellent original compositions.

(Christopher Johnson and Kaelin Matthews, winners of the essay contest)

The W.E.B. Du Bois Society is an Atlanta-based institution that works to promote and foster academic achievement among African-American students. AYA is incredibly proud of these two young men and their accomplishment!