ASHLEIGH STARNES | November 9, 2018
Atlanta Public Schools honored Staff Attorney Ayanna Jones-Lightsy with the 2018 Unsung Hero of the Year Award for her impact on the school community through the Standing with Our Neighbors™ program.
At the 2018 APyeS! Awards Reception and Ceremony on November 7, Atlanta Public Schools named Staff Attorney Ayanna Jones-Lightsy the 2018 Unsung Hero of the Year.
APS honored Ayanna for her work in AVLF’s place-based Standing with Our Neighbors (SWON) program. SWON places attorneys and community advocates in Atlanta schools to provide both legal and holistic assistance to families in crisis.
Attorneys like Ayanna fight to improve living conditions and housing stability in low-income neighborhoods. The goal is to improve resident health, academic performance, and student retention.
According to APS, Ayanna advocates for Atlanta families “without expectation of something in return” and has “made a meaningful difference in the school community.”
Ayanna was one of the original staff attorneys for the Standing with Our Neighbors team embedded in Thomasville Heights Elementary School. In the first year of the program, THES saw a 36% reduction in enrollment turnover rates. The program has expanded in the last year. Ayanna now also works out of Slater Elementary School and Price Middle School.
According to APS, Ayanna advocates for Atlanta families “without expectation of something in return” and has “made a meaningful difference in the school community.”
Rachel Sprecher, the Executive Director of the Office of Partnerships & Development at APS, invited Ayanna and three guests to the APyeS! Awards Reception at Mays High School.
“It goes without saying that you, Mrs. Jones- Lightsy, are an incredible example of what it means to be a valued partner,” said Sprecher. “Thank you for helping us work toward fulfilling our mission to graduate students ready for college and career!”
AVLF is exceedingly proud to have Ayanna on our staff. Her relentless advocacy has made an enormous impact on the families she serves. We look forward to seeing the continued impact of our partnership with Atlanta Public Schools.
Want to hear more about Ayanna’s work? Read her reflections on the first year of SWON.
Ashleigh Starnes
Communications Associate
As AVLF’s Communications Associate, Ashleigh helps Lauren Frazier with website content development, social media outreach, and various other forms of communication with our fiercely compassionate supporters. Ashleigh is ever-eager to share the remarkable stories of our clients, and the impact of AVLF’s staff and volunteers on our community.
Before joining AVLF, Ashleigh was a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey. She holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Georgia. She is also a performance artist, and can occasionally be seen performing movement pieces, poetry, and combinations of the two around Atlanta and beyond.
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