Clemson students to visit progressive Atlanta school

When Clemson student Damian Williams set his mind to raising the five-figure sum required to get him and 54 of his fellow students to the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, he didn’t overthink it. He just asked for it. He visited just about every contact he had made during his time as an elementary education major and undergraduate student government attorney general, and it turns out his idea wasn’t a hard sell. Williams led an effort that raised more than $23,000 in under six weeks from various sources at Clemson University. His classmates will want for nothing during their two-day trip this week to the academy. The academy is unorthodox but considered an effective private, nonprofit school that educates under-served students in the fifth through eighth grades. Williams visited the academy on his own in 2015, and based on his experience he believed the seniors in the College of Educationwould benefit from witnessing its unusual approach in action. The academy is Harry Potter-themed. A giant slide serves as the school’s centerpiece. Dancing is part of the curriculum. , Williams and Clark had a two-hour conversation about education and positively affecting children and Clark invited him to return. It was Williams’ idea to make the return trip with a busload of seniors. Williams is part of Clemson’s Call Me MISTER program, which aims to increase the pool of available teachers from broader, more diverse backgrounds, particularly among the lowest-performing elementary schools. Williams said the lack of focus on character in schools during his formative years is what nearly ruined his chances to remain at Clemson University. Williams is originally from Elloree, South Carolina, a town located in the state’s so-called “corridor of shame.” He grew accustomed to teachers talking down to him or ridiculing other children because of their living situations.