- January 2016 Dr. Lizanne Destefano, CEISMC Director, and Dr. Meria Carstarphen, APS Superintendent, discuss educational turnaround on the Westside.
- February 2016 Dror Yaron and Ryan Hoffman of CREATE Lab visit Atlanta as a potential member of thw satellite network. They meet with CEISMC and attend a Westside Education Collaborative meeting where they are introduced to Ayana Gabriel of the Blank Foundation, and future Hollis Principal Dr. Diamond Jack. CEISMC and Hollis agree to partner, contingent on the approval of Dr. Carstarphen’s turnaround plan.
- March 2016 The Westside Turnaround Plan is officially approved. M.R. Hollis Innovation Academy is set to open for the 2016-2017 school year.
- May 2016 CEISMC, CREATE Labs, and Hollis administrators visit Chicago to tour turnaround schools that Dr. Destefano had previously worked with. CEISMC submits a proposal to The Blank Foundation to obtain funding for the partnership with Hollis.
- July 2016 The funding proposal is approved by The Blank Foundation and the CEISMC-Hollis partnership officially begins. CEISMC and Hollis pre-plan for the year and develop the STEM curriculum.
- August 2016 Hollis Opens CREATE Lab visits Atlanta for a professional development event where they share an interactive mapping technology with Hollis teachers.
- September 2016 Hollis Hackers after school program begins. CEISMC and Hollis administrators visit Pittsburgh to tour CREATE Lab.
- October 2016 Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference takes place at Georgia State. Dr. Tamara Pearson, Dror Yaron, Dr. Diamond Jack, and Ayana Gabriel host a panel about the partnership called “School, University and Community Collaboration: Creating a K-8 STEM Academy in Atlanta Public Schools”.
- January 2017 CREATE Lab shares their Hummingbird robotics and Message From Me technologies with Hollis.
- February 2017 Hollis hosts STEM Night in collaboration with CEISMC
- March 2017 Hollis hosts the Nerdy Derby model car race. CREATE Lab visit?
- May 2017 Hollis and CEISMC host Becoming the Next end of year awards
- CREATE hosts Satellite Network meeting in Atlanta. All satellite partners visited Hollis.
- June 2017 Georgia Tech hosts summer programs. Hollis students attend Summer Bridge and Summer PEAKS. Hollis teachers participate in GIFT.