Who We Are

Snapshots In Our History

August 2004		Etienne LeGrand and Hal Logan found the W.E.B. Du Bois Society in Atlanta with the support of local educators, parents and community leaders.
September 2004		The W.E.B. Du Bois Society launches its first signature program, currently known as the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars program, to honor and celebrate outstanding African-American students.
September 2005		The W.E.B. Du Bois Society launches its first annual StepUp Forum — a half-day experience to inspire African-American middle school students toward high academic achievement.
May 2006		The Atlanta Resource Foundation  sponsors the W.E.B. Du Bois Society  enabling it to receive charitable  support.   The W.E.B. Du Bois Society received its IRS designation as a 501(c)(3) in May 2006.
October 2007		KIPP Metro Atlanta signs on as a strategic partner.
2008		The W.E.B. Du Bois Society's innovative approach is honored with the Humanitarian Spirit Award by the Delta Life Development Center, Inc.
August 2009		Etienne LeGrand is featured on the Essence Magazine Education Panel, "Finding Solutions."
2010		The Torch Award is presented to Etienne LeGrand by the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. for her work in education.
June 2011		Atlanta City Council issues proclamation in honor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars program.

Launched in 2004, the W.E.B. Du Bois Society is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization that is focused on positively impacting school culture, which has a direct connection to school productivity and performance.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Society’s strategy is simple, but effective:  change school culture, change lives.  

What is school culture?

A collaborative educational system that celebrates the accomplishments of students and teachers, allocates the necessary time for teachers to collaborate and improve; invites parents to contribute their ideas and opinions, in addition to their resources; and coalesces necessary partners to support the myriad needs of poor students.

Our organization is unique in its use of positive reinforcement programs to inspire stronger student outcomes and to bolster a culture of learning in and out of schools. No other organization focuses on these key drivers. A complement to other drivers of student achievement, our innovative use of recognition and celebration programs has contributed to stronger academic outcomes in vulnerable children by offering immediate positive feedback and increasing the frequency of productive behaviors/habits.

Our focus on school culture seeks to produce a system-level change in our schools and we are leveraging our demonstrated competency and history of creating and offering innovative positive reinforcement programs/activities to innovate in this area. When a mutually created, shared social tapestry bonds a school’s teachers, parents and students together, it fosters shared expectations, meaningful interactions, rituals of involvement, and celebrations of accomplishment that produce learning.

.Learn more about our programs