Grayson Taylor, an eleventh grade student at Coffee High School, recently applied for a community grant sponsored by several community organizations, most notably Same House in Atlanta. Taylor received the $2,400 grant for the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber Student Ambassador program. The funding allowed the eleven students to visit the Capitol in Atlanta and learn more about Georgia’s leadership during the 2025 legislative session.
After Grayson’s participation in Youth Lead Georgia, he was given the opportunity to apply for the Bullard Community Champions Grant offered by the Same House organization, a non-profit organization focusing on addressing social and economic challenges in the state of Georgia run by Rodney Bullard, former Senior Executive at Chick-fil-A.
Taylor met with Emily Courson and Matt Seale with the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber and Economic Development Authority to plan the program. “Because we are over 200 miles away from Atlanta in rural Georgia, it is more difficult to visit the Capitol,” said Grayson, “especially during the legislative session when our state representatives and senators are there to learn more about what they do and how they represent our communities.”
State leaders including Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Attorney General Chris Carr, State Representative Angie O’Steen, and Senator Carden Summers spoke to the students at the State Capitol during their visit.
The Chamber Student Ambassadors program offers students a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in community engagement and economic development. As Ambassadors, students participate in Chamber and Economic Development Authority events, attend meetings, and assist with ribbon cuttings. The student participants also receive specialized training, equipping them with leadership skills to contribute meaningfully to the community.
The Same House was just one of the sponsors for this grant, they worked in partnership with Regions Bank to fund the grants. This grant was administered through UGA/the Fanning Institute. Click here for additional details: https://youthleadgeorgia.org/uga-graduates-inaugural-youth-lead-georgia-class/