RCA Welcomes World Leaders

Ron Clark Academy Hosts the World

By: Donna Lowry, 11Alive.com

Students at Atlanta's Ron Clark Academy hosted the world this week. Guests from

throughout North and South America had the chance to see what the school will

offer when it opens.

More than 150 leaders from over 30 countries, in town for the Americas

Competitiveness Forum, received a special preview tour led by the southeast

Atlanta school's students.

The state-of-the-art facility is filled with innovative classrooms and teaching

techniques to inspire kids to want to learn.

"We are a community school. The community of Atlanta is coming together to build

this school, and it is our intent to become a model for how to educate, inspire and

uplift students," founder Ron Clark told the audience.

It is Clark's vision to take the unique, energetic concepts he's used in places such

as Harlem and rural North Carolina and use them at Ron Clark Academy.

A big part of the mission is exposing students to the world.

"By the time our students have graduated from the 8th grade, they will have

visited six of the seven continents," co-founder Kim Bearden explained to the

visitors.

The audience included U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez who

praised the school's global focus.

"Knowing the difference between the culture of Japan and the culture of Korea (...is key to learning about our global world.)

What you've done is brought together education with the power of innovation,"

said Gutierrez.

Just walking onto the school property gives visitors an idea of the world view

inside.

On the arch leading into the school is the first clue.

"Our main gate has six words on it and those six words represent the six

continents that we'll be going to," explained rising fifth grader Kennedy Guest-

Pritchett.

Each classroom in the two-story main building has a theme. In the social

studies classroom, or destinations classroom as the kids call it, there's a Delta

Airlines reservations desk.

"This is an actual door from an actual airplane," pointed out an excited Willie

Thorton, a rising sixth grader at the school.

At the entrance to Clark's math classroom, there's a set of bookcases that open up

as doors to the room. Inside is a sports-themed room.

"This is like the door to a subway," shares another student about the entrance to

co-founder Kim Bearden's classroom which is decorated to look like a city.

In the hallway, each stair is embedded with coins from 193 countries collected by

the teaching staff.

"How many pounds of coins do we have?" Bearden asked the students. "300!"

they shouted in unison.

But, the students will likely use the bright blue slide installed from the second to

the first floor.

Phil Baldwin was the first of many to journey down the slide!  Everyone agreed the first drop is a "doozy."

Months of preparation went into organizing the event, and great attention was given to every detail.  An RCA lunchbox was placed at each dignitary's seat, listing each of the event's sponsors:  GAFRI, Promethean, Verizon Wireless, Premiere Speakers Bureau, Audio Enhancement, Definition 6,  Eldeman Public Relations and Comcast.

Many of the Academy's supporters are graduates of East Carolina University.  Pictured above are Amanda Nixon, Carlester Crumpler (RCA Board Member,) Wanda Burgamy (Dell Executive,) Roger Wise, Charlie Bedford,  Ron Clark and Joey Barr.   James Maynard and Felix Harvey, fellow pirates, provide scholarships for the Academy.

Great American Financial Resources, Inc. (Platinum Sponsor) was well represented with members of their executive team who flew in from Cincinnati for the event.   From Left to Right:  Tom Maxey, Kyle Ketabchi, Mat Dutkiewicz.

This year RCA's students will visit four major cities: Paris, London, New York and Washington, DC.   To explore that theme, Kim Bearden is transforming her classroom into an urban environment, complete with street signs, billboards, neon lights and graffiti. 

A map within the school's main hall lists all of RCA's main sponsors.

Interpreters were stationed in booths at the back of the facility.  They translated the program for the Spanish and Portuguese speakers in the audience.

RCA's students brought many in the audience to tears with their rendition of "I Believe," by Yolanda Adams.

The students only had one full week to practice for the performance, and they worked extremely hard and truly gave it their all.

Ron Clark captivated the audience with his vision for the Academy.

Ron Clark presented a demonstration of all of the technology that will be used at the Academy, including Promethean Activboards and the Dell Intelligent Classroom.   Both Promethean and Dell have combined to provide more than one million dollars of support to the Academy.

Ron Clark and his parents, Ronnie and Jean Clark.

Laura Turner Seydel, RCA Board Member, and RCA's students.

Willie Thornton gave an animated tour of the Academy to Frank Schuler, Paul Stack, Amanda Brown-Olmstead, Laura Turner-Seydel, and the executives from GAFRI.

Paul Hernacki demonstrated the "fully loaded" lap tops that each student will receive, courtesy of Dell, Inc. and Intel. 

RCA supporters from left to right:  Rob Smulian, Cynthia Nash, (Travis McCoy, student,) Judge Belinda Edwards and Mary and Steve Beecham.

Mike Neilsen proudly displays the skylight that was donated by W.S. Neilsen Skylight Company.

RCA Board Members left to right:  Dr. Yolanda Spivey, Carlester Crumpler, Derek Alphran, and Academy Assistant, Erin Davis.

The students could only watch as adult after adult went down the slide.  RCA's students will not be allowed to venture down the slide until the first day of school, Sept. 4th.  On that day, each child will journey down the slide for the first time, and when they reach the bottom they will be placed into one of four "houses" that they will remain in for the four years they are at the Academy.  Houses are teams that will compete against each other in academics, athletics, and other categories.  The house that accumulates the most points will be honored at the end of the year banquet.

Shawn Ricks from the Dept. of Commerce with Tiara Meadows and "Big Blue."

A video of the entire day's performance will be added in the coming weeks.

A video of the practices leading up to the big event can be seen here, courtesy of Donna Lowry and 11 Alive:  Click Here

Photos courtesy of Duane Stork Photography: Duane@dstork.com