School's Cool In The City
Innovative Private School Makes the Most of Downtown's Resources






By Maria Mayo
New Century School is home to 75 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Some live downtown, but most are the children of downtown business people.

     Cole Walker can't stop talking about Atlanta New Century School. As he sits in his office looking out over Broad Street, the animated founder of the downtown school talks nonstop about the school he built himself a school that now flourishes in the basement of the Healey Building at 57 Forsyth St. Colorful murals, transparent walls and open ceilings characterize New Century School, home to 75 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Some of the students live downtown, but most are the children of downtown's business people. Because of its proximity to so many corporate workplaces, New Century School gives these parents the chance to have their children close by during the workday.
     Cole saw a unique opportunity in locating a private school downtown. "There are so many incredible resources in this area," he says. "Parks, libraries, museums, corporations, universities - just to name a few. We have the biggest library of any school around: the Fulton County Library's downtown branch!" Cole, who lives across the street from the school in the William Oliver lofts, began designing the school's concept in 1992 when he was 25. Although the concept was originally conceived as an entry in a grant contest, Cole decided to bring it to life even if he didn't win the grant. Funded with his own money, New Century School opened its doors in August of 1995 with an enrollment of 22 students. The success of the school, according to Cole, is due to its three most outstanding qualities: a customized curriculum for each child, the innovative use of downtown's resources, and its convenience for working parents.
     Cole's educational philosophy hinges on the idea of a customized education. "We don't put kids in a class and teach them all the same thing at the same time," he explains. "There are multi-age classrooms where each child can learn at his own pace, studying math with one group and language with another." Another unique feature of New Century School is its integration of technology into the learning process. "Computers shouldn't be a subject," Cole says adamantly. "They should be an everyday tool used to learn other subjects. Computers and technology are a part of the world now and will be an even larger part in the future, so they should be a part of education, too." "Just think," he continues. "Eighty percent of the jobs that will be available for today's first grader don't even exist now! With that in mind, how do you prepare [children] for job[s] that [don't] exist? You arm [them] with skills that will be useful in that future world." Cole, who is just finishing his Master of Science in Education and now diving into doctoral studies, stresses the importance of carefully educating young children. "You must invest in children," he says. "The investments we make in kids in the early years pay off in dividends that make the stock market look like toyland."

    Along with using downtown as its campus, New Century School enjoys a symbiotic relationship with its neighbor, Georgia State University. The college's music department offers music lessons to the children, and physical education teachers in training get to practice on real, live youngsters. Professors frequently pop into the school as guest lecturers. "Atlanta New Century School is a great addition to downtown," says Georgia State University President Carl Patton. "It's a wonderful experience for the students and we are glad to support Cole's efforts." Think a downtown school is too closed-in for kids? Cole doesn't. "We go to Woodruff Park at least two times a day. The kids have tons of time to run around outside," he says. "And since we walk to other buildings for lessons and activities, the kids have no shortage of outside time." Jim Cumming, owner and tenant of the Flatiron building, has windows that open on to the park. "One of my greatest pleasures every day is hearing the children from New Century School playing in the park," he says. "I think the school is a great thing for downtown."
     As far as parents are concerned, the best part of New Century School is that it lets them be more active participants in their children's education. "If a parent who works downtown wants to drop in on their child at school in Alpharetta, she has to take the day off," Cole says. "When your kids are just down the street, you can come by for lunch or reading time any day of the week." For commuters, the extra time with kids is also a plus. Crucial time is often lost on the long drive to work. When parents and kids make the trek together, they have as many as two extra hours to talk and spend time together.
     For B.J. Fendler of Austell, there was no question about where her son, Richie, would attend kindergarten. "Once we saw the school, we were so impressed with the environment," she says. "I would even want to go there, and I'm an adult!" B.J. especially appreciates the individual attention her son receives from his teachers. "When Richie had to start wearing glasses, his teacher declared 'glasses day' and had every student bring in glasses," she says. "And every week we get a handwritten report from his teachers about his progress. What other school does that?" B.J.'s husband, Rich, is a professor at the College of Business Administration at Georgia State University, just two blocks away from New Century School. "It's neat that Rich can drop by for lunch and be involved in the school," says B.J. "Standardized tests can't measure the effect it has on kids to have their parents in and out of their school days," Cole says. "I see kids just beaming, so proud to have their parents there with them, helping them learn." There is no need to ask if Cole enjoys his job: It's written all over his face. "I love kids," he says. "I love being around them, and creating this experience for them." Cole would like to take his educational concept to other markets, eventually setting up New Century Schools all over the country. If his Atlanta New Century School is any indication, the venture will be a success.