Day: September 2, 2026

KIPP Atlanta Schools will use a $35,000 grant from Delta Air Lines to expand college advising, career exploration, and leadership development programs for students across its nine-school charter network. The grant, announced on August 24, funds two signature KIPP Atlanta initiatives designed to prepare scholars for life after high school: KIPP Forward, which provides individualized postsecondary planning and career support, and Best of KIPP, a series of academic, arts, and enrichment experiences that showcase student achievement. The investment extends a partnership between the Atlanta-based airline and the charter network that has lasted more than a decade.

Key Takeaways

• The $35,000 grant will strengthen two KIPP Atlanta programs: KIPP Forward, which offers college advising, career planning, internships, and job-shadowing, and Best of KIPP, which provides academic competitions, performing arts events, and global immersion experiences.
• KIPP Atlanta Schools operates nine tuition-free charter schools serving more than 4,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in Atlanta and East Point.
• Delta Air Lines has partnered with KIPP Atlanta for more than a decade through philanthropy, employee volunteerism, the Delta Summer Aviation Program, and the annual Night of Impact fundraiser.
• The grant is part of Delta’s broader education investment strategy in metro Atlanta, which includes $16.5 million for Clayton County schools and workforce development, and $5 million for Georgia Tech’s new Aerospace Engineering Building.
• KIPP Atlanta launched its 2030 strategic plan, “Excellent Schools, Expansive Futures,” in July 2026, with college and career readiness as a central priority for the 2026-27 school year.

The Grant Targets Two Programs That Bridge School and Career

The $35,000 investment is directed at two programs that sit at the center of KIPP Atlanta’s strategy for connecting K-12 education to postsecondary outcomes. KIPP Forward is the network’s college and career success program, providing students and alumni with individualized college advising, career planning, internships, job-shadowing experiences, entrepreneurship training, and personalized support as they navigate pathways after high school. The program currently supports more than 2,000 KIPP Atlanta alumni as they move through college and into early careers. KIPP Forward also extends its reach to families of current students, offering early postsecondary planning support and financial guidance for college starting at the primary school level.

Best of KIPP operates on a different axis. The program creates opportunities for students to showcase their academic and creative talents through competitions, performing arts events, leadership experiences, and global immersion trips. Past programming has included an international experience in Nairobi, Kenya. The combination of the two programs reflects a model that treats career readiness and personal development as complementary rather than sequential, giving students exposure to professional pathways and creative expression simultaneously rather than reserving career programming for the final years of high school.

KIPP Atlanta Schools CEO Dr. Michael Cormack Jr. framed the investment in terms of access. “This investment will help expand opportunities that empower our scholars to discover their passions, build meaningful career pathways, and realize their full potential,” Cormack said in a statement announcing the grant.

A Decade-Long Partnership Between Delta and KIPP Atlanta

The $35,000 grant is not a one-time gesture. Delta Air Lines has maintained a formal partnership with KIPP Atlanta Schools since at least 2015, and the relationship extends across multiple touchpoints beyond direct financial contributions. Delta employees participate in volunteerism and mentorship activities with KIPP students. The airline’s Scholars of Aviation Readiness Career Immersion program has brought KIPP scholars into Delta’s training facilities for hands-on exposure to aviation careers. Delta also serves as the presenting sponsor of Night of Impact, KIPP Atlanta’s annual fundraiser, which has raised more than $1 million in support of the network’s academic and career programming.

Allison Marques, general manager of community engagement at Delta Air Lines, described the investment as part of a philosophy that goes beyond grant checks. “For Delta, giving back isn’t just a check. It’s showing up, year after year, for the communities we call home,” Marques said. “A young person’s potential needs opportunity.”

The KIPP grant sits within a considerably larger Delta education portfolio across metro Atlanta. In June 2026, Delta Air Lines and the Delta Air Lines Foundation announced more than $16.5 million in charitable support for Clayton County over five years. That investment includes $13.5 million in Foundation grants directed to Clayton County Public Schools through a new Junior Achievement Discovery Center at Southlake Mall, the Flint River Boys and Girls Club, and aviation scholarships for Clayton County high school graduates through Middle Georgia State University’s School of Aviation. Five Clayton County graduates received the first round of those scholarships in June 2026, entering Middle Georgia State’s FAA-certified flight and aviation management programs.

The Clayton County investment also launched the Delta Dream Accelerator, a hands-on experience embedded in the new JA Discovery Center that helps middle and high school students identify career interests and explore education pathways. Delta has announced plans to open four additional Dream Accelerator locations across the United States. Separately, the Delta Air Lines Foundation pledged $5 million in February 2026 to support construction of Georgia Tech’s new Aerospace Engineering Building, connecting the airline’s workforce pipeline strategy directly to the university’s research and talent development infrastructure.

The Grant Arrives as KIPP Atlanta Launches a New Strategic Plan

The timing of the Delta grant aligns with a broader organizational pivot at KIPP Atlanta Schools. In July 2026, the network launched its 2030 strategic plan, titled “Excellent Schools, Expansive Futures,” which positions college and career readiness as one of its highest-priority initiatives for the 2026-27 school year. The plan calls for strengthening classroom instruction, enhancing early literacy, improving scholar attendance and enrollment, and investing in educator development, with the career readiness work supported directly by the KIPP Forward program that the Delta grant funds.

KIPP Atlanta Schools operates as an open-enrollment network of nine tuition-free charter schools serving more than 4,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The schools are located in the cities of Atlanta and East Point and operate in partnership with Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools. Since its founding in 2003, the network has educated thousands of students and now supports a growing alumni base navigating college completion, career entry, and professional development.

The strategic plan’s emphasis on targeted, high-impact initiatives rather than broad simultaneous expansion suggests KIPP Atlanta is concentrating its resources on the programs most likely to move measurable outcomes for students. The Delta grant directly supports that approach by funding the two programs the network has identified as central to its postsecondary mission.

For Delta, the KIPP investment is one thread in a metro Atlanta education strategy that spans charter schools, public school systems, community organizations, and research universities. The airline’s approach treats workforce development not as a single pipeline but as a network of entry points, from elementary career exposure through middle school discovery programs, high school aviation training, university scholarships, and direct hiring pathways like the Propel Career Path Program. The $35,000 KIPP grant is modest in scale compared to the Clayton County and Georgia Tech commitments, but it sustains a relationship that has connected KIPP scholars to Delta’s operational world for more than a decade, and it arrives at a moment when the charter network is reorganizing itself around the question of what happens to students after graduation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Programs Does the Delta Grant Fund at KIPP Atlanta Schools?

The $35,000 grant supports two initiatives. KIPP Forward provides individualized college advising, career planning, internships, job-shadowing, and entrepreneurship training for current students and alumni. Best of KIPP offers academic competitions, performing arts events, leadership experiences, and global immersion opportunities that celebrate scholar achievement and encourage personal growth.

How Many Students Does KIPP Atlanta Schools Serve?

KIPP Atlanta Schools operates nine tuition-free charter schools in Atlanta and East Point, serving more than 4,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The network also supports more than 2,000 alumni through the KIPP Forward program as they navigate college and early careers.

How Long Have Delta Air Lines and KIPP Atlanta Been Partners?

Delta Air Lines has partnered with KIPP Atlanta Schools for more than a decade. The partnership includes direct philanthropy, employee volunteerism, the Scholars of Aviation Readiness Career Immersion program, the Delta Summer Aviation Program, and presenting sponsorship of the annual Night of Impact fundraiser.

What Other Education Investments Has Delta Made in Metro Atlanta?

Delta and the Delta Air Lines Foundation have committed more than $16.5 million to Clayton County over five years for a Junior Achievement Discovery Center, aviation scholarships through Middle Georgia State University, and workforce development programs. The Foundation also pledged $5 million to Georgia Tech’s new Aerospace Engineering Building in February 2026.

What Is KIPP Atlanta’s 2030 Strategic Plan?

Launched in July 2026 under the title “Excellent Schools, Expansive Futures,” the plan prioritizes strengthening classroom instruction, early literacy, college and career readiness, scholar attendance, and educator development. The 2026-27 school year will focus on a targeted set of high-impact initiatives before broader expansion in subsequent years.