APEC Family Foundation Funds Courts at Four FCS Schools
Angelique and Corey Dutch (left & center), APEC Family Foundation, with Stonewall Tell principal Niki Porter (right) at the Legacy Awards.
It takes a village. Anyone who works in education can tell you that, especially when it comes to ensuring that children attending Fulton County Schools (FCS) have what they need to succeed.
The APEC Family Foundation, founded over two decades ago by two passionate parents, Angelique and Corey Dutch, is dedicated to empowering FCS students. When the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Bright from the Start, awarded the foundation a $120,000 health and safety grant, APEC used the funds to provide outdoor basketball courts at four FCS schools. Liberty Point, Seaborn Lee, Stonewall Tell and Wolf Creek elementary schools received courts that cost $30,000 each. The courts are customized with each school’s colors.
Tanisha Lewis, Liberty Point principal, was excited that the court for her school only took one day to install.
“The court was unveiled after the Labor Day break,” Lewis said. “It’s just this burst of color that makes children want to be outside. It makes them want to play. They love it!”
According to Lewis, the court is also used as a reward for positive behavior. Students can earn points that are used to purchase play time, and the court is a popular choice.
Stonewall Tell Elementary uses the basketball court in a similar way to incentivize students to play outside where they learn communication skills and the importance of teamwork.
“Even teachers use it as an outlet to relieve stress and anxiety,” said Principal Nikki Porter. “Our school has been partners with APEC for 15 years and we are thankful for their dedication.”
For APEC founder and CEO Angelique Dutch, this gift was personal.
“This has been a dream come true,” she said. “I wanted to leave some type of lasting mark on these schools that have served my own family and my own community for so many years. I’m a champion of south Fulton schools and I wanted to be able to leave a mark, something sustainable.”
Wolf Creek ES
Liberty Point ES
Seaborn Lee ES
Stonewall Tell ES