Our Founding

Benjamin Wills and his wife, Sara, moved to English Avenue to participate in a program called Mission Year shortly after they graduated from high school and got married. Mission Year’s purpose was to put young people into urban ministry settings for one year to “Love God, Love Neighbor and Nothing Else Matters.” Benjamin and Sara lived in English Avenue with several other couples in a shared home and worked in a non-profit after-school program on the east side of town. During this time, Benjamin and Sara were moved by both what they saw in the education system and by some of the realities in English Avenue.

At the time, English Avenue was known as the largest open-air heroin market in the Southeast. A portion of the neighborhood colloquially called “The Bluff” was particularly known for drugs, trafficking and violence. Yet, countless students and families were trying to live a thriving life in the neighborhood. This, coupled with systemic injustice in the school system, stirred their hearts. Ultimately, they moved home to the Dallas, Texas area, only to later feel called back to Atlanta.

On August 4, 2015, Peace Preparatory Academy opened its doors to its first class of 12 Kindergartners. Since then, we remain committed to our mission to be a place that educates the whole child, supports the whole family, and provides growth and change opportunities for the whole community in a high-quality, Christ-centered learning environment, and we remain focused on our vision to see earth look more like heaven in English Avenue and on the historic westside of Atlanta. A place that was once home to the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, and Andrew Young. The most notable landmark is the English Avenue Elementary School, the first school on the west side of town where African American children could attend school all day, and its pupils included Gladys Knight, Maynard Jackson, and Herman Cain.