History of National School Choice Week and Local School Choice History

What is the National School Choice Week?

It was founded in 2011 by Andrew Campanella and the National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

It was created as a nonpartisan, grassroots awareness campaign to inform families about the full range of K-12 education options. The founders wanted to give parents one week each year to "step back, explore, and celebrate" different schooling possibilities for their children.

Today, National School Choice Week has grown into a movement with over 25,000+ planned events each year!

Timeline

2011: First year held around 150 events across the U.S.

2012-2015: Participation grew to thousands of events from open houses to student showcases

2016-2020: Became the largest public awareness campaign on education in the country, with schools, homeschooling groups, and community orgaizations hosting activities.

2020-present: Tens of thousands of events take place nationwide each January, ranging from school fairs to pep rallies, parent workshops, and virtual info sessions.

Forms of Education

• Traditional public schools

• Charter schools

• Magnet schools

• Private schools

• Online schools

• Homeschooling 

• Microschools

Middle Georgia Local History

In February of 2025, Middle Georgia had its first School Choice Fair hosted by the Tubman African-American Museum and Rising Scholars Collective. Over 15 organizations attended and around 350 people were in attendance.

This year, Middle Georgia will host two weeks of events, which will culminate in a School Choice Fair at the Tubman Museum in Macon on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Pre-register: Registration for School Choice Fair 

View the history of the Bibb County Public School District presented during December 2022 for the 150th Anniversary of the city of Macon, Georgia here.