ATLANTA –Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) announced she secured $1,024,940 to prepare Agnes Scott College Students for Global Workforce. Congresswoman Williams made the announcement with Agnes Scott College President Leocadia I. Zak at an on-campus event on March 20. The funds will go to enhance the college’s technological capacity to promote digital literacy, community engagement, professional success and global learning among future women leaders–many of whom are from underrepresented backgrounds.  

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) said:

“I am grateful to represent and partner with Agnes Scott College to meet the needs of students. When thinking about what we went through during the pandemic, it is clear why this Community Project Funding Grant is necessary. We all had to get creative with education–I had to teach virtual kindergarten. College students need that same access to technology to study and stay safe. Future classes of Scotties will benefit from this grant as they continue to change the world.”

Leocadia I. Zak, President of Agnes Scott said:

“Agnes Scott’s innovative SUMMIT curriculum is changing the way our students experience college. Digital learning is a core tenant of the SUMMIT experience. This funding will allow us to elevate how we prepare our diverse student body with the digital skills they need to thrive in the workplace in Georgia and beyond. We are extremely grateful to Representative Nikema Williams for recognizing the need for digital literacy and submitting our request. The pandemic has shown us how important our digital infrastructure is for small businesses and for education. I want Georgia’s communities to benefit from and shape the rapid developments in our digital economy. For that, we need colleges that provide equitable access to digital technology and the right curriculum to support digital literacy. Agnes Scott College offers both elements in an exemplary way and I am proud to support their efforts.”

After COVID-19 disrupted traditional learning environments at the college in 2020, Agnes Scott was forced to pivot to be more digitally centered. The pandemic presented the opportunity to reimagine Agnes Scott’s responsibility to promote digital equity and offer a future-oriented curriculum in an increasingly digital world.

Agnes Scott’s goals in receiving funding are: to prepare its students with the career-relevant digital skills needed to be agile and successful at organizations and businesses both locally and globally, strengthen the college’s ability to facilitate meaningful collaboration with other institutions of higher learning and external organizations, and to positively engage more Georgia-based community partners who share in the value of developing the next generation of women leaders.

The funds will directly support the establishment of new high-technology classrooms focused on project-based learning initiatives as part of the college’s SUMMIT curriculum. This will also include improved technology resources and laboratories for the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy, which assists students in developing their technical and digital skills.

CONTACT: PressGA05@mail.house.gov

Congresswoman Nikema Williams proudly serves Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District on the exclusive Financial Services Committee. She is a champion of voting rights and builds on the Fifth District’s legacy as the cradle of the civil rights movement as co-Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. Congresswoman Williams is committed to closing the racial wealth gap and ensuring the promise of America for all–regardless of your ZIP code or bank account.

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