Announcements July 30, 2025

Our Atlanta Studio Celebrates the Start of the School Year by Raising $53,000 for the Backpack Bash

a group photo of people in front of a school

Throughout the day, over 150 volunteers helped distribute school supplies at Love T. Nolan Elementary School.

As the new school year ramps back up in Georgia, our Atlanta studio kicked off the season with the annual Backpack Bash—marking five years of this collaboration. Motivated by the goal of reducing the stress of purchasing school supplies, we worked with our local partners to provide essential items (and more!) to Love T. Nolan Elementary School in Fulton County.

With a record breaking $53,000 raised, we are proud that this tradition continues to grow each year with the amount donated, organizations participating, and volunteers showing up to serve the community.

a group of people behind a table holding backpacks

Perkins&Will supplied backpacks for volunteers to distribute to students as they collected the rest of their materials.

students learning about what architecture is

At the career table, students had the opportunity to learn a little about architecture, building structural systems, and mechanical and electrical engineering.

man behind a table handing out school supplies to kid

Five women smiling in front of an elementary school

Backpack Bash leader, Maria Montgomery, with school principal, Dr. Earleana Smith, and the Love T. Nolan team.

an awning with people behind tables and giving school supplies

After grabbing their school supplies, students enjoyed snow cones to beat the summer heat.

Great partnerships are the backbone of this initiative, and as a result of 60 returning and new industry partners, our Atlanta studio was able to raise $53,000 in donations. This sizeable donation has allowed the team to provide new backpacks for more than 700 students and enough school supplies to last through the school year.

Students and their parents were invited to Love T. Nolan Elementary to pick up these supplies and enjoy a fun day of music, lunch for families, games, and a chance to design a keychain for their new backpacks.

Two kids walking down an awning with tables of school supplies

A look past years’ events:

2021 Cobb County

2022 Dekalb County

2023 Clayton County

2024 Atlanta Public Schools

As a core component of Perkins&Will’s Social Purpose program, we consistently seek opportunities to give back to our communities and we’re thrilled to have worked with the faculty, administration, and families of Love T. Nolan Elementary School. The Backpack Bash is considered a success thanks to our nearly 60 partners in the design, architecture, engineering, and construction industry. After all school supplies were purchased, we were able to donate a remaining $9,000 to the school to be used for lunches and field trips for the students throughout the year.

Thank you so much to all of our event donors!

PLATINUM DONORS

Acoufelt
Andrew, Hammock, & Powell
Brasfield & Gorrie
Conway & Owen
DPR Construction
Facilitron
FACT Design
Hammond & Associates
Humphries & Company
Mazzetti
Mohawk
Newcomb & Boyd
NOVA
Shear Structural
SmithBuilt
Structor Group
Swinerton
Sykes Consulting
Whiting-Turner

GOLD DONORS

Barbizon Lighting
Corporate Environments
HPD Engineers
Impact
Matheson-Ball & Associates
Uzun+Case
Walter P. Moore
Yellow Bird

Our Atlanta Studio Celebrates the Start of the School Year by Raising $53,000 for the Backpack Bash

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