UGA in Our Community

Community Impact Report 2023-2024

Grow it, Know it: Grow it Know it is a middle school garden program that addresses the impact of poverty on the lives of Clarke County School District teachers, staff, parents and the nearly 3,000 CCSD middle school students.

Experience UGA: Experience UGA aims to bring all 14,000 Clarke County School District PreK to 12th grade students to UGA’s campus each year for an academic field trip. The trips, hosted by 33 different UGA units, engage CCSD students in hands-on, curricular-based learning activities designed to foster interest in higher education and a variety of careers.

Professional Development School District Program: The Professional Development School District, a partnership between the UGA College of Education and the Clarke County School District, aims to improve the quality of education for local K-12 students through a student-centered approach that fosters engagement in learning, interdisciplinary understanding and problem solving, and critical inquiry. To date the partnership has 12+ active professional development school sites, 25+ College of Education faculty members serving as professors-in-residence, and 500+ UGA students participating in courses at professional development schools every semester.

The success of the University of Georgia and the success of our community go hand-in-hand. That is why UGA is committed to promoting economic development in all areas of Athens-Clarke County. From helping entrepreneurs launch local businesses to creating jobs, UGA is determined to advance the local economy for all residents.

SBDC: UGA’s Small Business Development Center provides tools, training and resources to help small businesses in Athens succeed. With 17 locations across Georgia, the SBDC has helped entrepreneurs start more than 1,600 businesses, create nearly 12,500 jobs, and earn $10.3 billion in total sales in five years.

A sustainable university acts as a living laboratory where sustainability is researched, taught, tested, and constantly refined. Sustainability is a process, not an end goal. It is a framework for organizing and acting which focuses on the whole, values interaction as much as component parts, and crosses traditional divides to address issues collectively. The University of Georgia is committed to sustainability in Athens and across our state.

UGArden: UGArden is student community farm supported by a combination of dedicated students, interns, Americorps Volunteers, Master Gardeners, and faculty. The program works to build a community centered on a sustainable food system.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia aims to acquire and share botanical knowledge and to foster appreciation, understanding and stewardship of plants and nature through collections and displays, horticultural gardens, research, educational programs, exhibitions and events.

The garden is a 313-acre preserve set aside by UGA in 1968 for the study and enjoyment of plants and nature. The Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden will open in 2020. Admission to the garden is free.

The Georgia Museum of Art is an academic museum and the state’s official art museum. It serves not only UGA, but also the owners of its permanent collection—the citizens of Georgia—through award-winning exhibitions, publications and programming.

Admission to the museum is free to the public. Each month, the Museum hosts a “family day” that is free for the community.

The UGA Performing Arts Center is a hub of entertainment, culture and education. Tickets for performances are available to the public, and the Performing Arts Center hosts a variety of talented musicians.

Each weekend, the center hosts a free Saturday Morning Club for children.