The Crooms AoIT Alumni Association is pleased to announce the creation of the Coach Geoffry Alan Haines Athletics Grant Program in recognition of the contributions of Dr Geoffry Alan Haines in the creation of the Crooms Academy of Information Technology’s athletics program. The Coach Geoffry Alan Haines Athletics Grant Program intends to offer at least one (1) grant to a Crooms AoIT athletics team or club each year indefinitely into the future. The new grant application will open during the 2022-2023 school year with more information being made available in Fall 2022.

Coach Haines – who passed away in February 2022 – helped ensure that Crooms AoIT students could participate in athletics, sporting activities, and sports clubs at Crooms Academy of Information Technology in pursuit of a full and enriching academic experience during their high school years. During the establishment of Crooms AoIT, Coach Haines ensured resources were available to help start the athletics program after the school was not initially envisioned to include organized sports. Coach Haines attended nearly every sporting event for Crooms AoIT in the early years. Croomies remember him as a teacher, coach, athletics director, medical director, part-time announcer, part-time score board operator, part-time water boy, and every other position needed to support a burgeoning high school sports program.

The Grant Program replaces the Athletics Grant Program launched by the Alumni Association under the patronage of Class of 2006 graduates Frank C. Bracco (2012-2018) and Julian Gordon (2019) and Class of 2011 graduate Gregory Raymond (2020). Previous iterations of the Athletics Grant required explicitly earmarked financial commitments from donors as it aimed to not utilize membership fees. The Coach Geoffry Alan Haines Athletics Grant Program replaces this funding model and is instead funded by a large initial contribution from an anonymous donor along with a dedicated funding stream (a portion of brick sales from the Alumni Panther Walk are earmarked to the grant program).

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Dr. Geoffry Alan Haines. Coach Haines served as the first athletics director at Crooms AoIT and was instrumental in establishing the athletics program at the school. The classes of 2005 and 2006 will remember Dr. Haines fondly.

During the establishment of Crooms AoIT, Coach Haines ensured resources were available to help establish the athletics program after the school was not initially envisioned to include organized sports. Coach Haines attended nearly every sporting event for Crooms AoIT in the early years. Croomies will remember him as a teacher, coach, athletics director, medical director, part-time announcer, part-time score board operator, part-time water boy, and every other position needed to support a burgeoning high school sports program.

After departing Crooms AoIT, Coach Haines went on to finish is PhD at the University of Southern Mississippi in educational leadership in 2007. He held several professorships at Delta State University, University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Trinidad and Tobago before entering into semi-retirement.

In his spare time, Dr. Haines was a passionate fan of sports, regularly posting sports updates on social media - from hockey favorites like the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Solar Bears to major league updates from the NFL and NBA to college updates for basketball and gymnastics. No sport (or level of sport) was too niche for this consummate sports fan.

Dr. Haines will truly be missed and his contribution to Crooms AoIT looms large. The family is currently making private arrangements for his funeral.

The Crooms AoIT Alumni Association, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association Tech Innovation Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes a Crooms AoIT graduating senior with a $750 scholarship in recognition of their technical acumen to create or contribute to a technological project or product, which could include:

• Open source software you’ve contributed to or created
• Animated or 3D video
• Live video project
• Website you have designed or built
• Video game you have designed or built
• Video game mods, maps, or scenarios
• Robotics project
• Network schematics
• Graphic design artwork
• Infographic
• Data visualization or dashboard
• Hardware design project (Arduino, Raspberry Pie, etc.)
• BPA, SECME, Art Club, Gamers Club, class, etc. technical project
• Any other technological project or product (including senior class portfolio projects)

The deadline for applications is Thursday March 24, 2022 by 11:59pm. The scholarship recipient will be notified shortly thereafter. We look forward to answering any questions you might have and carefully reviewing all applications received. Remember, this scholarship is only open to graduating Crooms AoIT seniors, so your chances of receiving the scholarship are quite high! If you have any questions, please reach out to scholarship@croomsalumni.com
Graduating seniors can find the application here: https://forms.gle/KJ5JP72X2arFJs1A8

About the Tech Innovation Scholarship: The 2022 iteration of the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association Tech Innovation Scholarship marks the return of the program after a hiatus last year. This year marks the 8th iteration the Tech Innovation Scholarship. The scholarship is one of two scholarship programs sponsored by the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association - the other being the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association Community Scholarship, which is now in its 16th year of continuous offering and is included as part of the Crooms AoIT Multi-Scholarship Application (an application that allows for Crooms AoIT students to apply for 14 different scholarship programs in one application).

The Crooms AoIT Alumni Association, Inc. is proud to announce that it is providing a grant of $250 to Crooms Academy of Information Technology’s Girls Basketball Team. The grant will be used to fully pay for game refs at a home game as the Girls Basketball Team reconstitutes its team after a 4+ year hiatus. The money for this grant comes from a previously established Crooms AoIT Alumni Panther Walk athletics fund where alumni can purchase a brick with their name to be installed at our alma mater.

Separately, the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association has partnered with the Crooms AoIT Athletics Department to create a specialized donation page that now available on the menu bar of the Crooms AoIT athletics page.

If you would like to learn more about the donation, or would like to learn how you can support athletics at Crooms AoIT, please contact scholarship@croomsalumni.com.

The Crooms AoIT Alumni Association, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of the Crooms AoIT Alumni Panther Walk at Crooms Academy of Information Technology. Alumni, community partners, and supporters can show their panther pride and support Crooms AoIT athletics at the same time by purchasing a brick that will be installed in the area in front of the Joseph and Wealthy Crooms Memorial Wall.

The Alumni Association is targeting fifty (50) bricks in this first year, so supplies are limited - and prices will increase in future years. Be sure to reserve your spot by purchasing a brick today! Learn more and purchase your brick here.