Atlanta Girls' School Announces Launch of Sara Blakely Academy of Entrepreneurship

05/05/2009

Atlanta, May 4, 2009 - Atlanta Girls' School announces the fall 2009 launch of the Sara Blakely Academy of Entrepreneurship as part of a $50,000 grant from the Sara Blakely Foundation. The well-known Atlanta businesswoman created a multi-million dollar company in 2000 with her invention of the body-slimming hosiery, SPANX.

The entrepreneurship program will combine fundamentals of economics with an entrepreneurship curriculum that will equip Atlanta Girls' School students to write and defend a viable business plan. Students will compete for venture capital with an award of up to $1,000 for the most creative and feasible plan. Sara Blakely will entertain presentations by the finalists and then select the winner of the Sara Blakely Entrepreneurship Academy award.

A substantial number of field trips, simulations and guest speakers will enhance the experience for Atlanta Girls' School students. Additionally, local and national female business leaders will be invited to share their expertise.

Joan King, a middle and upper school teacher at Atlanta Girls' School, will be teaching the course. Ms. King has a 20-year background in business and technology and was a senior partner at Accenture, a global management consulting company, before earning an MAT at Agnes Scott College.

The Sara Blakely Foundation grant also includes tuition scholarship dollars to serve the school's strong commitment to socio-economic diversity and its goal of educating girls to be leaders.

According to Ms. Blakely, "By finding the future female entrepreneurs and leaders of the world and giving them the 'leg-up' they need to succeed, we believe we can elevate the status of women globally. We applaud Atlanta Girls' School for empowering and educating young women to be leaders."

The Atlanta Girls' School is a nondiscriminatory, nonsectarian college preparatory school for girls grades 6 through 12. Opened in August 2000, the school provides a challenging college preparatory program in a learning environment designed to allow girls to achieve their full potential. The school is located at 3254 Northside Parkway. For more information, call 404.845.0900 or visit the school website at http://www.atlantagirlsschool.org/.