The GIVE Center was created in 1994 by the Gwinnett Board of Education. It began as an initiative funded by grant money received from the state of Georgia's Alternative Education Program, formerly known as the Cross Roads Alternative Education Program. As an alternative education facility, it served both Gwinnett County and the Buford City Schools. GIVE was one of the first alternative school programs in the state of Georgia.
Year 1- GIVE was opened in the basement of the newly opened Collins Hill High School. Since Collins Hill was mostly 9 th and 10 th graders, a section of the school was walled off for GIVE use. The Faculty the first year numbered 12. A principal, counselor, administrative assistant, 4 High School teachers, 2 Middle school teachers, 1 special ed teacher and 2 paraprofessionals. Lunch was brought down tothe students and faculty, via elevators and students ate in their classrooms. The student population was about 70, which included a student council. The school day was 10:30-4:30 with a half day on Friday. The founding principal was Mr. Steve Bennett.
Years 2-3-GIVE moved to Central Gwinnett High school and was located mostly in a cluster of trailers off of, what was then, the 600 hall (now where the new building sits on the west end of campus). Class schedule remained the same and bus transportation remained until the middle of year 3, when it was discontinued for all but special ed students. Additional staff was added as the student population reached 100+.
Years 4-12- GIVE was moved to a joint location in downtown Lawrenceville, sharing space with Hooper Renwick (school for special education students). Classrooms were built in an old storage facility for air conditioning and heating units. The bottom floor was finished for the first year. With no kitchen facilities, lunches were bused in from a nearby elementary school. By year 2 at this location, the upper floor, elevator and kitchen facilities were added. Students attended classes on an extended day format, 7:30-4:30, with a faculty planning day on Friday. This schedule was eventually discontinued and replaced with the current class schedule. Student population tripled, necessitating the opening of a sister campus (GIVE West) in 2003.Ms.Donna Scott was named principalin2002.
Years 13-Present- Give East, as it was now known, was relocated to the former Instructional Support Center-which used to be Lawrenceville Middle School. The faculty and staff currently rest at 76 with a capacity for 500 students. Mr. Jay Paschall was named principal in 2008.