GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students is excited to announce the ninth annual Strolling Thunder. This kid-friendly event gives families from around Georgia the opportunity to speak personally with elected officials about the joys and challenges of raising young children. We’re bringing along our little ones in their strollers to send a clear message: To build strong families, vibrant communities, and a prosperous state, our lawmakers must prioritize families with young children. Check out a video recap of Strolling Thunder 2025 below.
This year’s Strolling Thunder is a two-part event:
- The first part of the event is a virtual training session where you will learn what to expect during your day at the Georgia State Capitol. We’ll also give you tips to help you most effectively share your story. There will be three identical trainings: Tuesday, January 13th from 7:30-8:30 PM; Saturday, January 17th from 10:00-11:00 AM; and Thursday, January 22nd from 12:00-1:00 PM. You only need to attend one training session.
- The second part of the event will take place in person on Thursday, January 29th, 2026 from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Your young children (infants through five-year-olds) are invited to attend this event with you. Expectant parents are also welcome to attend. During this fun-filled day, our home base will be the Freight Room at the Georgia Freight Depot. We’ll be there for snacks and lunch, giveaways, kid-friendly entertainment, and more! We’ll also cross the street to visit with our legislators at the Capitol.
Families who attend will receive a gift card for their participation (one per family).
It’s more urgent than ever that Georgia’s leaders support young children and their families. We hope you will join us in making your children’s potential Georgia’s priority.
2026 Partners
Training Materials
A big part of Strolling Thunder is writing a letter to your legislators. Your responses will be turned into a letter and hand-delivered to your legislators.
Click here to write your letter.
Need help writing your letters? Check out the sample letters below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Parents, caregivers, and expectant parents, as well as teachers and community members, from anywhere in Georgia are welcome. Children ages infant to five years old are encouraged to attend the in-person event.
Yes. Participants must attend one of the three virtual training sessions offered. All three sessions contain the same content—you only need to choose the date and time that works best for you.
The in-person portion will take place on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Georgia Freight Depot’s Freight Room, with visits to the State Capitol across the street.
Absolutely. The event is designed for families with young children, including infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Strollers are welcome and encouraged.
7:15 – Shuttle Bus Service Begins from
7:30 – Registration Opens
8:00-9:00 AM – Welcome and Advocacy Training
9:00 AM – Head over to the Georgia State Capitol in Groups (PLEASE BE AT THE FREIGHT DEPOT NO LATER THAN 8:45)
9:00-11:00 AM – Capitol Experience and Hand-Deliver Letters to Legislators
11-11:30 AM – Return to the Georgia Freight Depot
11:30 AM-12:50 PM – Lunch with Legislators
1:00 PM – End of Event
Snacks will be provided during the morning training but not a full breakfast. Coffee will be available in the morning and beverages will be available throughout the day, including water, milk, and juice. A hot lunch will be provided.
Participants will be shuttled to the event venue from a nearby parking lot in Summerhill located at 455 Hank Aaron Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30312 (a.k.a. Summerhill Parking Lot C). Shuttles will begin at 7:00 AM and will run throughout the day.
Please anticipate that the shuttle bus will take around 15 minutes from the parking lot and plan to arrive at the Freight Depot as closely to 8:00 AM as possible (i.e., arriving at the parking lot around 7:45).
For adults, we will have dusty blue, short-sleeve shirts. For young kids, we have navy, short-sleeve onesies (newborn through 24M) and toddler t-shirts (2T-5T). We hope that you and your little ones will put on your Strolling Thunder shirts when you arrive!
We recommend wearing comfortable shoes as we will be walking over to the Capitol.
Volunteers bring this event to life—whether greeting families, guiding participants, or helping little ones enjoy arts and crafts. Every role plays a part in amplifying the voices of Georgia’s youngest children. Click here to learn more and sign up as a volunteer.
Bringing young children under the Gold Dome sends a powerful, visual reminder: if we want strong families, vibrant communities, and a prosperous Georgia, we must prioritize the needs of families with young children.
We’d love to have your support in making this event possible. Your support will help cover costs such as transportation, meals, supplies, and materials—ensuring families across Georgia have a voice in shaping policies that affect their children’s futures. Click here for a one-pager on sponsorship opportunities.
Click here to sign up as a Strolling Thunder sponsor.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to stand with Georgia’s youngest citizens. Please contact Lisa Dwyer, Director of Strategic Operations, if you have questions related to sponsoring Strolling Thunder.
Please contact Jessica Woltjen at jwoltjen@geears.org with any additional questions.