International Community School gets new clean energy learning space

International Community School in Decatur, Georgia, opened a JAS-Vibha Clean Energy & Sustainability Learning Space on Aug. 27 to expand hands-on STEM education for more than 550 students. The project responds to weak Earth Science performance and brings new tools for environmental science, meteorology and renewable energy instruction.

Why it matters: - The new learning space is designed to help more than 550 ICS students build STEM skills through hands-on work with real environmental systems. - The project targets Earth Science, the school’s lowest-performing subject area, and aims to strengthen student understanding in a subject tied to sustainability and climate literacy. - The space gives teachers new ways to connect classroom lessons with real-world data, experiments and outdoor observation.

What happened: - International Community School in Decatur, Georgia, now hosts the JAS-Vibha Clean Energy & Sustainability Learning Space. - ICS, JAS Corporation and Vibha collaborated on the project. - The space was inaugurated on Aug. 27, 2026. - The learning space includes a portable greenhouse, Earth Science kits and an outdoor weather station.

The details: - The learning space is intended to support instruction in environmental science, sustainability, meteorology and renewable energy. - Students will use the school garden and weather station to collect real-time environmental data. - The project is meant to build observation, analysis and scientific thinking skills. - ICS GMAS data from the 2023–24 and 2024–25 school years showed Earth Science as the school’s lowest-performing subject area. - Many students in that subject fell into the Beginning and Developing proficiency bands. - Vibha connected the school with subject matter experts to help develop programs, experiments and exploratory activities for the space over time. - The Bruni Foundation, JAS Corporation’s philanthropic arm, funded the proposal after reviewing it during its proposal cycle. - Vibha volunteer Raj Vuchatu and JAS Corporation CIO Vishal Bedi first discussed the idea after Vuchatu shared the impact of ICS’s existing STEM Learning Lab. - Ms. Diamond Jefferies, principal at ICS, and the Vibha team worked together on the funding proposal. - The partnership also creates volunteer opportunities for Bruni Foundation members at Earth Day, Career Day and STEM Night.

Between the lines: - The project is built around a clear match between school-level needs, corporate philanthropy and Vibha’s role as a connector. - Raj Vuchatu said the initiative is one of the first in the U.S. where Vibha served as a bridge between a corporate foundation and a school with a clearly identified need. - The collaboration signals a model for future projects that combine funding, implementation support and subject-matter expertise. - ICS Principal Diamond Jefferies said the partnership will help build environmental stewardship through hands-on STEM learning. - Vishal Bedi said JAS and the Bruni Foundation are proud to support an initiative with lasting benefits for the community.

What's next: - Teachers are expected to use the new space to deepen student learning through experiments, observation and data collection. - Vibha and its partners envision the project as the first of many collaborative initiatives involving schools, nonprofits, corporations and community experts. - Bruni Foundation volunteers are expected to participate in school events that connect classroom lessons with real-world experiences.

The bottom line: - The ICS learning space turns a corporate-nonprofit-school partnership into a practical STEM asset aimed at improving Earth Science learning and environmental awareness.