RCE Greater Atlanta Spring 2025 Quarterly Meeting Recap
The RCE Greater Atlanta Spring Quarterly Meeting, held on April 15 at CreateATL, brought together a vibrant mix of community and nonprofit leaders, academic partners, and government representatives. Attendees were welcomed by Dr. Jennifer Hirsch of GT SCoRE, who introduced the agenda and the meeting’s guiding theme: activating RCE Greater Atlanta as a mutual aid network. With new political leadership and ongoing challenges in sustainability work, the gathering encouraged participants to think critically about collaboration across higher education, community partnerships, and public service and how we can best support one another.
This quarter’s meeting was hosted at CreateATL, a dynamic venue that offered a welcoming backdrop for meaningful conversations and community connection. Early in the evening, Maria Ceballos and Anna Tinoco-Santiago kicked off a tabling session, introducing the SDG Futures Fellows and other participating organizations. Fellows briefly presented their work with community partners advancing the SDGs in Atlanta, and we got to hear from another project tied to a pressing regional issue on Sapelo Island. The island's land rights case, brought to the Georgia Supreme Court just the following day, was a key point of discussion led by community advocate Cicely Garrett and Gullah Geechee descendants.
The event also featured a mutual aid marketplace, where attendees used color-coded sticky notes to share what support they needed and what they could offer. As program leads of the Community of Practice for Community-Academic Partnerships, Ruthie Yow and Erin Lebow-Skelley led the activity, encouraging everyone to engage with the growing web of support within the RCE network.
Throughout the evening, postcard campaigns, internship announcements, and summer event opportunities were shared by partners, including an upcoming event hosted by an animal rights advocacy group and tabling availability near Indian Creek MARTA station. In closing, Dr. Hirsch floated the idea of the next quarterly meeting taking place in October, inviting anyone interested in hosting to reach out to her at jennifer.hirsch@gatech.edu.
Huge thank you to everyone who joined us, shared space, and contributed to another inspiring Quarterly Meeting. Special gratitude goes to CreateATL for hosting, and to all who helped make the event so energizing. If you have photos from the gathering, feel free to upload them here and keep the spirit of connection alive!