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Earving “Magic” Johnson recently opened a center in Atlanta designed to help high school students who have left school, or are at risk of leaving, earn a high school diploma.

Located at 100 Edgewood Avenue NE in Atlanta, the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Center is free and open to students ages 14 to 20. The center is partnering with Provost Academy Georgia, a statewide charter high school.

The Magic Johnson Bridgescape Center will offer a blend of one-on-one and small group instruction. The center is staffed with on site education teams to assist students in their daily studies and includes teachers, counselors and other professionals, who work together to provide academic support and post-graduation assistance for students, including those with learning disabilities.

Jennifer Parker, executive director of product development and training, said the school’s learning model is based on 80 percent online curriculum. Additionally the Magic Johnson Bridgescape program is open for morning and afternoon sessions. The program is aligned with EdisonLearning, an education management company that operates schools worldwide.

At a recent news conference, the former NBA All-Star said the goal of the school is to ensure that no student falls through the cracks.

“All students should have the opportunity to receive their high school diplomas and be fully prepared for college or the workplace,” Johnson said.

In addition to providing normal access to course high school-level courses online and tutoring help, Bridgescape also teaches students about financial literacy and provides support to those who come from troubled backgrounds.

“We work with students who aren’t experiencing success in high school for a variety of reasons,” Parker said. “They may be reading below grade level and it’s not unusual that our students are already parents or they may be raising siblings. They may need more flexibility with their scheduling and we can provide that for them.”

Since the Bridgescape program is housed in Provost Academy, a state-run school, any student interested in attending can apply for the school, including those in DeKalb County and other areas throughout metro Atlanta.

“It’s definitely a work-at-your-own-pace school and we try to get students to stay focused at just a couple classes at a time,” Parker said. “We also focus on post-secondary transitioning so that when they graduate they’ve already got a plan.”

Currently there are 16 students enrolled in the Bridgescape program in Atlanta and new centers are soon opening in Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Additional Georgia locations are planned for Augusta, Macon and Savannah.

Students interested in attending the Magic Johnson Bridgescape center can enroll by calling (888) 725-9501. For more information, visit ga.provostacademy.com.