MORROW, Ga. — Hundreds of students from at least eight Atlanta-area high schools spent the day at Clayton State University as part of OneGoal’s annual Metro Atlanta Student Summit.
This year's event paired students up with professionals in empowerment workshops all in an effort to make the goal of going to college and getting a degree more accessible.
Organizers said about 500 kids took part in the summit. Most students in attendance come from low-income and minority backgrounds.
Demar Goodman, a junior at South Atlanta High School, said the event shows how much the community is invested in seeing teens succeed.
"The importance of OneGoal and events like this serves to allow students from minority backgrounds and low-income backgrounds know they have a community that is involved and cares about them and that they have several resources at their disposal to use," Goodman said.
Closing the degree divide has been the focus of many schools and organizations in recent years.
Back in 2018, Georgia State was highlighted by the New York Times for the school's high graduation rates among African American students.
The summit started Thursday morning at 9 a.m. and offered a full day of sessions, workshops and other activities.
This is the second year in a row the event has been held.