Senate Press Release – Page 140 – Georgia Senate Press Office

August 18, 2023

MEDIA ADVISORY: Senate President Pro Tempore to Formally Announce Leader in Me Statewide Pilot Program

ATLANTA (August 18, 2023) | On Wednesday, August 23, Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R – Macon), along with Legislative Leaders and members of the Georgia Board of Education, will formally announce the launch of the Leader in Me statewide pilot program following a student-led tour of one of Macon’s Leader In Me Schools, Vineville Academy of the Arts. The announcement comes after the expansion of the Leader in Me model under the Amended FY2023 Budget.

Leader in Me is an evidence-based Pre-K-12 model, developed in partnership with educators, designed to build resilience and leadership in students, create a high-trust school culture, and help improve academic achievement.

The student-centric curriculum aims to foster leadership skills, character development and personal growth in students and is implemented in schools to empower students with the necessary tools to thrive academically and in their personal lives. It is designed to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and goal-setting skills. Students learn to take responsibility for their actions, set and work towards personal and academic goals, and develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-efficacy.

The model’s success in Macon-Bibb County began during the 2015-2016 school year when Macon’s Business Education Partnership raised funds to implement the Leader in Me program within two pilot schools. The positive outcomes and transformative impact led to its expansion countywide in 2018 and is the reasoning behind the statewide expansion initiatives announced earlier this month.

WHO: Senator John F. Kennedy (R – Macon), Representative Robert Dickey (R – Musella), Members of the State Board of Education

WHAT: Tour of Leader in Me Pilot School, Vineville Academy of the Arts, and formal announcement of Leader in Me Statewide Pilot Program

WHEN: Tour of Vineville Academy of the Arts

Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 1:30PM

Press Conference to be held following the school tour at 2:30PM

WHERE: Vineville Academy of the Arts

2260 Vineville Ave, Macon, GA, 31204

**Members of the media who wish to attend should RSVP to Charlie Barrett by email at Charlie.Barrett@senate.ga.gov

A link to Senator Kennedy’s full statement regarding this initiative can be found here.

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Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18^th Senate District which includes Upson, Monroe, Peach, Crawford, and portions of Bibb and Houston Counties. He may be reached at 404.656.6578 or by email at john.kennedy@senate.ga.gov

August 18, 2023

Hispanic Legislative Caucus Holds First Official Meeting

ATLANTA (August 18, 2023) | This week, the Georgia General Assembly Hispanic Legislative Caucus held its first official meeting at the Latin American Association (LAA) Atlanta Outreach Center. The LAA is the oldest and largest Latino-serving nonprofit organization. Founded in 1972, the LAA has become the region’s leading agency representing Georgia’s Latino issues. The LAA offers a targeted menu of direct services that helps Latino individuals assimilate and become contributing members of Georgia’s community. General Assembly members in attendance included: Hispanic Caucus Chairman Senator Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas), Vice-Chairman Representative Pedro Marin (D – Duluth), Senator Jason Esteves (D – Atlanta), Representative Stephen Sainz (R – St. Marys), Representative Saira Draper (D – Atlanta), Representative Raynaldo Martinez (R – Loganville), and Representative Phil Olaleye (D – Atlanta).

“This meeting was another historic step for the Hispanic legislative caucus as we had our first meeting to discuss issues that impact Georgia’s Hispanic community and elect our Executive Committee,” said Sen. Anavitarte “I look forward to working with this group and the rest of the General Assembly as we collaborate on ideas for the future of Hispanic families across Georgia.”

“Building stronger ties with the Latino community has long been a personal commitment of mine,” said Rep. Marin. “I am very honored and humbled to have been elected Vice-Chair of this Historic Caucus and I look forward to continuing our relationship to create new opportunities for all Georgians.”

The committee aims to build relationships and bring fresh perspectives to General Assembly members with ties to Georgia’s Hispanic community.

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Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 31 which includes Paulding and Polk Counties. He can be reached at 404.656.9221 or at Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov

August 18, 2023

Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia’s Workforce to Hold Third Meeting

ATLANTA (August 18, 2023) | On Tuesday, August 22, 2023, the Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia’s Workforce, chaired by Senator John Albers (R – Roswell), will be holding its third meeting at 10:00 a.m. at the Kia Assembly Plant in West Point, Georgia. The Senate Study Committee was created pursuant to Senate Resolution 275, sponsored by Sen. Albers, which passed during the 2023 Legislative Session with bipartisan support. This committee was established to fulfill one of Lt. Governor Burt Jones priorities for the 2023 session. The committee is comprised of both legislative and non-legislative members: Sen. Albers as Chairman, Sen. Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta), Sen. Jason Esteves (D – Atlanta), Sen. Sonya Halpern (D – Atlanta), Sen. Billy Hickman (R – Statesboro), Champ Bailey, Joseph McDermott, Ryan Pernice, Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg Dozier, Dave Williams, and Daniela Perry. The study committee will hold three more meetings throughout the remainder of the year, with a schedule of meetings located on the committee website listed below.

WHO: Sen. John Albers, Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia’s Workforce

Senate Study Committee Members

Representatives from a wide range of Georgia industries

WHAT: Third meeting of the Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia’s Workforce

WHEN: Tuesday, August 22, 2023

10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Kia Georgia Training Center

900 KIA Blvd

West Point, Georgia

WEBSITE URL: https://www.expandinggeorgiasworkforcestudy.com/

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Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56^th Senate District which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb and North Fulton counties. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov

August 18, 2023

Kroger Partners with Senate Democratic Whip Harold Jones II to Support Food Insecurity Charities

ATLANTA (August 18, 2023) | Yesterday, Senator Harold Jones II (D – Augusta) was awarded a $5,000 check by The Kroger Company to donate to charities of his choosing in the fight to eradicate food insecurity and food deserts across Georgia. The recipients of Sen. Jones’ donation include the Augusta Dream Center Inc. and Savannah Riverkeeper. The Kroger Company awarded the check to Sen. Jones during a tour of the new Kroger grocery store on Eisenhower Parkway, which is projected to open in the spring of 2024.

August 9, 2023

Senators Serve on Georgia Council on Literacy, First Meeting Held

ATLANTA (August 9, 2023) | On Monday, the Georgia Council on Literacy held its inaugural in-person meeting and roundtable discussion at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. Nearly 200 people were in attendance, including legislators, teachers, children’s literacy experts and members of the public. The Council, which operates under the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, is dedicated to improving literacy outcomes for Georgia students. The first meeting included an introduction of the Council’s purpose and its members, an overview of the science of reading, reports from the Georgia Literacy Coach, discussion of literacy initiatives in schools and public comment.