Johnson STEM Activity Center Presents the Inaugural Innovator Awards Dinner

Nonprofit celebrates 20 years of empowering Atlanta students in STEM

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, March 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Johnson STEM Activity Center (JSAC), a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting the next generation of innovators, is excited to present its Inaugural Innovator Awards Dinner on Saturday, April 26 to celebrate 20 years of JSAC empowering underserved students through real world experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The dinner will occur at JSAC located at 275 Decatur Street SE from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and will be hosted by Monica Pearson with Olympic Medalist Edwin Moses as keynote speaker to celebrate the achievements of JSAC Founder Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Former Atlanta Hawks NBA All-Star and advocate Dominique Wilkins, and other inspirational figures.

The dinner will present the Innovator Award, the STEM Inspiration Award, the Champions Award and the Change Maker Award to individuals who have had substantial impact on the Atlanta STEM community and JSAC. The dinner is a celebration of JSAC’s impact on tens of thousands of students over its two decades of service. JSAC served over 7,000 students last year and in the year ahead plans to expand outreach to serve an additional 400 students.

Students at JSAC learn with the supportive guidance of their mentors in a dynamic, collaborative team environment which is accessible to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For many students, JSAC is their “home away from home” where they have the opportunity to learn whenever they feel inspired.

“We are committed to supporting the next generation of scientists at the Johnson STEM Activity Center,” said Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Founder of JSAC and Innovators Award Recipient. “Having an impact on other people’s lives is akin to planting seeds. I measure success by watching those seeds flourish, much like the students we support at JSAC. I am incredibly honored to receive the Innovators Award.”

“I think we have a social responsibility to consistently give back,” said Dominique Wilkins, Former Atlanta Hawks NBA All-Star and JSAC Change Maker Award Recipient. “The biggest legacy for me is knowing that you were part of something that brought about change. We want everybody to live life above the rim.”

In 2005, Dr. Johnson partnered with the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and Coach Bart Sudderth to launch a robotics program for underserved youth in Atlanta, donating part of his building for the initiative. The program started with 6 students and one team but grew rapidly. By 2014, over 200 students from multiple teams used the space, and by 2016, 2,000 students participated. Renamed the Johnson STEM Activity Center in 2017, it became a nonprofit, serving over 10,000 students by 2019 when it constructed the nation’s first nonprofit esports arena in partnership with the Forever Young Foundation to celebrate Super Bowl LII in Atlanta. Over the past 20 years, tens of thousands of students from the Atlanta metropolitan area and across Southeast have participated in JSAC programming. With 54 Title 1 public schools located within a 10 mile radius of the Center, JSAC never stops working to help narrow the educational inequities and the digital divide. JSAC is building the next generation of STEM leaders – one student at a time.

To learn more on the Johnson STEM Activity Center please visit johnsonstem.org. To sponsor or support the nonprofit's mission please contact admin@JohnsonSTEM.org.

Minah Thomas
Rhythm Communications
+1 717-253-6433
mthomas@rhythmcommunications.com
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