Dunwoody-based nonprofit Pebble Tossers is accepting applications for its Teen Leadership Program through Friday, July 31, giving Metro Atlanta high schoolers a chance to spend the 2026-27 school year tackling a community problem alongside peers from across the state.

The program, open to rising ninth- through 12th-graders, combines life-skill workshops with a yearlong group project. This year's cohort will focus on education awareness, including a spelling bee and career fair for underserved youth, according to participant Aanya Thumaty, a junior at South Forsyth High School.

Pebble Tossers says it works with 60 nonprofit partners across 12 cause areas, including education, homelessness, food security, the environment, and veterans' services. Families can join for $159 per year; individuals pay $50, which the organization says unlocks volunteer opportunities with partner agencies across the metro area.

Executive Director Jon Gosse, who took over after founder Jen Guynn's retirement, told Rough Draft Atlanta in a July 21 interview that the organization's core question is "what's our why?" He said the answer came down to three ideas youth discover through service.

"We came to three realizations in answering this question – 'I can help, I am connected, and I am needed,'" Gosse said. "This leads to, 'I matter.'"

Gosse said the TLP curriculum asks teens to examine root causes behind community needs. He described asking participants whether their service efforts are "putting a Band-Aid on a gushing wound" to push them toward systemic thinking.

Partnership with Inspiredu

One of those partners is Inspiredu, a technology-focused nonprofit whose volunteers tutor families using laptops for the first time. Pebble Tossers members help run Inspiredu's digital literacy workshops, guiding participants through basics like getting online and accessing files.

Marcus Hicks, manager of technology at Inspiredu, told Rough Draft Atlanta that Pebble Tossers volunteers help expand the organization's reach locally and statewide. He said the partnership aligns with Inspiredu's goal of providing digital learning spaces to people without access to technology.

A participant's path

Thumaty first connected with Pebble Tossers through the Sandwich Project, a Dunwoody-based initiative where volunteers prepare homemade deli sandwiches for local charities. She said the TLP's cross-grade structure brings students together to tackle one cause area each year. The 2025-26 cohort focused on animals and wildlife, making toys for shelter animals from everyday supplies.

Pebble Tossers also runs a Middle Years Leadership Program for sixth- through eighth-graders. The organization is headquartered at 1155 Mount Vernon Hwy NE, Suite 800, Dunwoody. Families can reach them at (678) 757-5597 or [email protected].

Other upcoming community events

  • Thursday, July 24: Brookhaven Community Movie Night, 8-10 p.m., Lynwood Park
  • Saturday, July 25: DeKalb County School District Back-to-School Rally, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (registration required)
  • Wednesday, July 29: DeKalb Schools Open House for high schools
  • Thursday, July 30: DeKalb Schools Open House for elementary and middle schools
  • Tuesday, August 4: Dunwoody National Night Out, 5-8 p.m., The Pavilion at Brook Run Park
  • Saturday, August 8: Groovin' on the Green (M-80s with Herd Behavior), Brook Run Park Amphitheater