A philanthropic, ITP church-conversion project like no other in the U.S. is underway southeast of downtown Atlanta, according to project officials. 

Following two years of design, fundraising, permitting, and land use approvals, Decatur-based nonprofit Global Village Project broke ground this month on what it calls the only U.S. middle school that exclusively serves refugee girls whose schooling has been interrupted. 

Since its founding in 2009, GVP has served refugee girls between ages 7 and 11 who’ve resettled in Georgia, often after they’ve been forced to leave homes, family, and friends with no possessions, limited schooling, and spotty English language or reading skills. It’s operated inside Decatur First Presbyterian Church for years. 

Spread across 3.2 acres, the new GVP campus will more than double capacity to 100 students residing in metro Atlanta. (Since 2017, GVP has been forced to turn away an average of 44 percent of applicants, citing capacity constraints; 50 girls applied for just 18 open slots for the 2025-2026 school year, per officials.) 

The new campus location—formerly the Georgia Chin Baptist Church—is on Shamrock Drive in the Candler-McAfee neighborhood, about four miles from downtown Decatur. 

Planned interior aesthetics at the Global Village Project facility. Courtesy of Rosalie Ezekiel, architect

The Global Village Project’s Shamrock Drive location, in relation to downtown Decatur and Avondale Estates. Google Maps

GVP bought the site in 2023 following a “generous gift” from the Chestnut Family Foundation, a charity launched eight years ago by MailChimp founder Ben Chestnut and wife Teresa, per project officials.  

The three-building campus, as designed by architect Rosalie Ezekiel, will feature 12 large classrooms, a cafeteria, auditorium, health and wellness spaces, a STEAM lab, and teacher and volunteer lounges. SG Contracting is heading construction. 

The $7.8-million project has been largely funded through GVP’s New Village 100 Capital Campaign, with help from the New Market Tax Credit Program. 

Planned exterior of the Global Village Project church conversion in unincorporated Decatur. Courtesy of Rosalie Ezekiel, architect

Courtesy of Rosalie Ezekiel, architect

GVP’s process gets results, per organization leaders. 

GVP students show 1.8 years of academic growth per year, with a 96 percent class attendance rate. Alumni have a high school graduation rate of more than 79 percent, bucking refugee youth dropout trends across Georgia, and 30 percent of them have attended college—five times the global average of refugees enrolled for higher education. 

“Along with the increased capacity, this new campus will enable us to expand our programming and offer more support to students and their families,” said GVP board chair Sonya Ko in a project announcement. “This ambitious initiative will unlock potential, transform futures and create a permanent home where our students can thrive, heal, and lead.” 

Community fundraising efforts to fill the project’s remaining $1.1-million funding gap continue. All contributions of $500 or more will be recognized on a donor wall in the new school, per GVP. 

According to project officials, the goal is to open the new campus for students in fall 2026.

The Shamrock Drive property in question in Candler-McAfee, as seen in January. Google Maps

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