Hidden Gems: Meet Partrounar Bryant-James of Georgia’s Child Professional Training, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Partrounar Bryant-James.

Hi Partrounar, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Savannah. My mother, Georgia, was a Sunday school teacher, and youth mentor with the voice of an angel. She raised my sister, Sonia and I, to love God, care for others, focus on being leaders and not followers, and work hard, but enjoy life. My mom required voracious reading, straight A’s and perfect attendance, but she also bought my first pair of roller skates at age 2, had me singing and dancing since my earliest memory, and enrolled us in everything from piano lessons and Girl Scouts to ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics. Sadly, my mother succumbed to breast cancer in 1984 when I was a freshman, Sonia was a senior, our baby sister, Tia, was 2 years old and our brother, DeAndre, was 11 months. That year was the first time I’d missed school or made a grade below an A.

In 1988, I graduated from my mother’s alma mater, Alfred Ely Beach High, and worked as a housekeeper at Melrose on Daufuskie Island to save money for college. In January 1989, I enrolled in Savannah State College as a Criminal Justice major. During my sophomore year, I became pregnant with my daughter, Jei, but by my junior year, I was taking 26 hours per quarter to graduate early. I was also in work study and employed and as a tutor for Youth Futures Authority. After venting to a college friend about my exorbitant daycare costs, she informed me that PEACH covered her childcare, but I’d have to apply for AFDC. I was reluctant because of the welfare stigma, but I rationalized it as me being a taxpayer and recouping some of my tax dollars.

I graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Criminal Justice in just 3 years and 1 quarter at a time when expedited college programs were nonexistent and the average undergrad took 4-5 years to matriculate. As a Constitutional Law scholar, my professor wanted me to apply to Harvard, but law school would have to wait since I had a child to care for. Since there was a State of Georgia hiring freeze, I asked my AFDC caseworker about volunteer opportunities, and she referred me to the PEACH office. Although I had a college degree, I was willing to work for free since I understood the concept of paying dues, and my mother always told us that “manners will carry you where money won’t”. After a month, I secured a part-time position as a GED tutor in Michael Thurmond’s Welfare to Work Initiative and began speaking at various agency functions. As a result, I was promoted 3 times within my first year at DFCS, culminating in my position as a Certified Social Worker in Adoptions at 23 years old. Although this was an emotionally “heavy” job, I rose to the challenge and was able to excel at securing adoptive homes and providing life skills training to independent living foster care youth because empathically, I understood how it felt to be a motherless child.

In 1997, I relocated to metro Atlanta, and for the past 29 years, I’ve played a key role in the most innovative and impactful programs, projects and initiatives in the state of Georgia which include:

2001-2002: Supervised and placed committed youth identified in US v. Pipkins (2002) Georgia’s first major RICO prosecution specifically targeting juvenile sexual exploitation

2003-2006: First Black person to manage the Rockdale Court Services Office and collaborated on Georgia’s first System of Care Pilot and the Rockdale Evening Reporting Center

2009-2011: Successfully managed the Fulton Juvenile Court Community Service Learning Model, Georgia’s first Juvenile Restorative Justice Project

2011-2018: Coordinated Fulton’s oldest Adult Day program (HG Darnell) and guided its successful transition from a private-pay social model to a state licensed Adult Day Health Model

2019-2021: Served as Manager of Fulton’s oldest Senior Multipurpose Facility (HJC Bowden) and successfully implemented COVID relief efforts regarding virtual programming, curbside meal distribution, and the COVID vaccine pilot. Additionally, I hand-counted ballots in Fulton County’s historic 2020 Statewide Risk Limiting Audit.

2021-2024: Served as Fulton State Court Program Administrator for Project ORCA, the largest ARPA-funded justice‑system backlog initiative in Georgia

In 2025, I founded Georgia’s Child Professional Training, Inc. with my daughter, Jei as the CFO and my sister, Tia, as the Board Chair. This youth services nonprofit is named in honor of my beloved mother and rooted in my lifelong commitment to serving children and families in my home state.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been paved with challenges, and I’ve had to change course more than once. Yet every transition proved worthwhile, ultimately shaping a new trajectory that positioned me exactly where I was meant to be. My goal after high school graduation was to go off to college and major in Vocal Pedagogy to pursue my first love–singing and teaching music. Unfortunately, my scholarship covered tuition and books, but not room and board. Thus, I had to pivot and attend college in my hometown, major in Criminal Justice, and pursue my second love—the legal profession.

When I had Jei, then separated from her father, I had to pivot once again. Instead of pursing law school, I chose social work. Due to a state hiring freeze, I couldn’t become a social worker immediately. However, I used my tutoring experience to secure a position helping young mothers transition from welfare to work by earning a GED. Moreover, telling my story of being a young mother who received welfare for one year then went on to work for the agency, prepared me in becoming a motivational speaker and trainer.

My career in the Human Services profession spans 34 years across multiple disciplines, while advancing from line staff to executive leadership. Although I never earned a juris doctorate, my degrees and certifications allowed me to successfully lead a team of litigation managers, lawyers and judges in the backlog project of the largest State Court system in Georgia. This was my full‑circle moment, and in the immortal words of Maya Angelou, “wouldn’t take nothing for my journey.”

One of my biggest challenges was in 2016 when my sister, Patrice, with whom I share the same father, was murdered by her boyfriend in Savannah, GA. This was especially devastating for me because her shame wouldn’t allow her to reach out to me for help despite knowing that I’d be her best option to get away from Savannah and him. Ironically, I had agreed to serve on the board of a domestic violence nonprofit to support other families, and 30 days later, I received the call about my own sister. Sadly, our father abused my mother (his first wife) and Patrice’s mother. However, he’d changed his ways with his current wife of over 30 years, only to have his daughter killed at the hands of her abuser. Since Patrice’s death, I have embraced the mantle of domestic‑violence advocacy, committing to be a voice for her and for others whose lives have been impacted by abuse.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Georgia’s Child Professional Training, Inc.?
GCPT is a youth services nonprofit organization with a mission to empower youth, ages 13 – 24, and equip professionals through trauma-responsive, skills-based training experiences that build competencies, foster leadership, and strengthen pathways to personal and professional growth.

We provide professional mentorship and Workforce Development anchored in three Core Principles: Educational Alignment, Employment Preparedness, and Economic Sustainability. These principles are actively practiced through our Professional Training Cohort (PTC), a research based, trauma informed workforce initiative. GCPT also offers Leadership Development Training for youth service agencies and community organizations, including Mandated Reporter Training, Team Building, and Trauma Responsive Mentorship.

GCPT is a newly formed organization led by an unpaid CEO and supported by three volunteer board members. Despite having no funding, our impact in 2025 and the first 3 quarters of 2026 reflects consistent outcomes that exceed those of larger, well‑funded organizations in metro Atlanta. This dynamic is what sets us apart from others and demonstrates that our organization could achieve even greater impact with dedicated funding and staffing. Throughout 2025 and Q1 – Q3 of 2026, GCPT delivered mentoring and workforce development training to 111 youth participated in 9 Community Service-Learning events involving 36 youth. We are proud to have provided professional mentoring to the class of 2025 and 2026 consisting of 33 GED graduates of Pangaea Institute for Education, 2 metro Atlanta high school graduates, and 1 graduate of Gordon College. Additionally, GCPT trained 15 potential mentors, matched 7 mentors with mentees, and is preparing for 4th quarter mentor orientation and matching activities. GCPT’s 2025 and 2026 student support initiatives included providing referral support resulting in four unhoused program participants securing housing, with additional referrals pending placement. In December 2026, GCPT delivered more than $600 in holiday gifts and financial assistance to GED students and provided over $1,000 in gifts and financial assistance to 2026 graduates and offered free professional headshots through a partnership with Nicole Barton Photography. Our Career Week collaboration with Pangaea Institute resulted in the following:
• Events: 3
• Youth Engaged: 125
• Partnerships Developed: 7
• Workforce Placements (Employment + Apprenticeships): 9
• College and Career Training Enrollment: 9

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Individuals, organizations, and community partners can collaborate and support our mission in three powerful ways:

1. Support Our Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Event “The Beauty of Becoming…Loved Right: Life Rocks and Love Should Too”
• Spread the Word to encourage youth, families and groups to attend
• Donate Funds to keep this event free and accessible to everyone
• Volunteer to assist with safe, successful program operations

2. Fund GCPT’s Professional Training Cohort and training programs
• Cover the Costs for youth to participate in the full training series
• Partner as a Host Site for GCPT to offer the PTC onsite or online
• Support virtual or onsite facilitation of Leadership Development for youth service agencies and community organizations

3. Become a professionally trained GCPT Mentor
• Lead, Guide and Mentor trauma-impacted youth age 13-24
• Offer Career Exposure through employment referrals, apprenticeships, job shadowing and workplace tours
• Support Mentor Events by helping to fund mentor/mentee meet-ups

Contact Info:

• Website: https://georgiaschild.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgias_child
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgiaschild
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/partrounar-bryant-james
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@partrounar

Image Credits
Nicole Barton Photography
Jenkins Photography