An Atlanta elementary school teacher is a finalist for a $100,000 national grant.

At the start of this school year, Emily Max of Atlanta Public Schools’ Toomer Elementary School was named one of 15 teachers in the country vying for one of six $100,000 Dream Big Teacher Challenge grants sponsored by Farmers Insurance.

Max proposed using the funds to build an inclusive playground that is accessible for students with special needs. The playground would include low structures with ramps, low monkey bars and balance-building stations.

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A graduate attends Clark Atlanta University’s 2025 commencement ceremony Sunday, May 18, 2025, at Georgia State’s Convocation Center. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

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Scott Jackson (right), business service consultant for WorkSource Fulton, helps job seekers with their applications in a mobile career center at a job fair hosted by Goodwill Career Center in Atlanta. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)

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