In Savannah, a college-level program that blends supply chain knowledge, AI, and career paths is changing high school students’ futures.

The LEAP Program (Logistics Education and Pathways) is run through Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute and supported by Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM). It delivers logistics-focused training to high school students enrolled in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice’s Chatham Education Transition Center, as well as other locations across the state.

As a result of the Chatham County program, what begins as an opportunity to complete high school credits and graduate turns into a pathway to confidence, career readiness and family success.

“It’s a real game-changer for my kids,” said Artlise Alston-Cone, lead teacher at the Chatham County facility. “Being able to complete just one certificate, it gives me what I need to be able to say, ‘Listen, you just made a 90; your whole average is a 90 on a Georgia Tech course.’ So they understand that this is no little thing, this is a great thing. They get to see themselves differently.”

Pathways to Success

The Chatham Education Transition Center is one of three facilities in Georgia designed to help high school students complete credits needed to graduate. For various reasons, these students cannot return to their home schools. They attend the center during the day to take required classes.

About a decade ago, Georgia Tech faculty and DJJ staff launched the LEAP program at the Chatham campus, said Cathy Smith-Curry, director of reentry services at DJJ. Since then, staff such as Alston-Cone have led the program to success, with dozens of graduates — including parents of students — and an opportunity to refocus success for entire families.

“Any time a kid can obtain skills and additional tools for their tool belt, as we often say, it puts them on a positive trajectory,” Smith-Curry said. “Education is something that once you have, no one can take it from you. And these certificates have positioned the kids to propel upward.”

Smith-Curry acknowledges the challenges faced by students at the facility. Some come from unstable homes or have been involved in the criminal justice system. But with the Port of Savannah and the growing logistics sector, plus the trend toward technology and artificial intelligence, students recognize opportunities available through certificates in transportation and logistics.

Still, it takes a bit of a sales pitch from instructors like Alston-Cone. Part of the center’s programming involves surveying students about career interests. And while any career trajectory is positive, Alston-Cone pushes her students to think bigger and strive for more.

She reinforces this by incorporating a student’s initial career idea into the LEAP curriculum. For example, if a student expresses interest in cosmetology — a fine career path, though not highly compensated — Alston-Cone uses their knowledge of the field to dive deeper into logistics.

“They definitely had to understand the supply chain for that career choice. We often talked about, what happens if the United States has tariffs with China? How is that going to impact you being able to get hair supplies?” she said. “Do you have it shipped, or do you have it transported via plane? And how does this impact the cost on your consumers? And then, where is the distribution center? So, it all made sense for them, and we just love that part of it.”

Beyond lessons in shipping and logistics, the program also teaches students that they can expect more. Many students struggling to finish high school don’t see themselves as college material, but Alston-Cone reminds them that completing a certificate program from Georgia Tech isn’t easy. For some, that realization sparks new ambitions.

Recently, one student became a model of success. She completed seven of the eight LEAP certificates, along with her high school requirements, in two years. Now a student at Georgia Southern University, she told her teachers she originally never considered college an option.

“She was one of my students who wanted to do cosmetology, but she also wanted to do nursing. But she was afraid of nursing because it required four years of college and so forth for you to get more money,” Alston-Cone said. “And so, after she completed the first certificate and then the second and the third, then she knew she could handle some college-level materials.”

Learning Beyond the Classroom

LEAP launched with a grant from JPMorgan Chase in 2015. Certificates are organized around eight themes related to supply chain and logistics: warehouse operations, supply chain management, customer service, transportation, inventory, procurement, demand and manufacturing operations.

Today, LEAP is taught in a variety of educational institutions across the state. Georgia AIM supports LEAP instruction at the Chatham Education Transition Center and a new program at Groves High School in Savannah.

Chuck Easley, a professor in the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, said LEAP is a natural fit for the region.

“This seemed to be a very nice complement to what they were trying to do (in Chatham County), to get a credential and career exposure,” he said. “Savannah is a really big hub from a supply chain standpoint, and the lead teacher there is quite dynamic. All those things played into it, and when Georgia AIM came into the picture, we started talking about what might be possible. And it just matched up.”

Across the state, LEAP helps professionals of all ages and experiences upskill in the transportation and logistics sector. Programs are tailored for veterans, employees looking to advance their careers and communities where these skills are in high demand.

An additional layer in the Chatham County program is the inclusion of students’ parents. By enrolling parents alongside their children, the program strengthens families while opening new career pathways.

“So, our approach is not just to help the youth, but to help the entire family,” Smith-Curry said. “That two-generational approach is all about helping the youth by helping the adults in their lives and really amplifying the voices of families.”

The foundation of DJJ’s work is family engagement. But educators do not tell students what path to take; instead, through education, students and their families can learn to open new doors. When students and their families find direction, other pieces of life begin to fall into place.

Alston-Cone agreed. Completing a high school degree is the first step, but the LEAP certificates set a course for the future.

“I call it my trim tab, like on a boat. It’s the little rudder that helps you change the direction, and if it doesn’t work, you can’t turn,” she said. “LEAP is the trim tab that helps me turn kids in the direction we need to turn them in.”