The Atlanta Alliance targets under-served West Atlanta communities along Etoy and Proctor Creeks where water has been an environmwntal justice issue for decades. The evolving geoscience focus is anchored within the community-based West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA). WAWA operates an urban Outdoor Activity Center and is now building geoscience education curricula, identifying local geoscientists for presentations and mentoring, and hosting experiences that build Earth literacy. This session will explore the challenges and solutions for building pathways in challenging communities. How to recruit and retain community participation, roles for academic partners, bridging "town & gown", building community knowledge and measuring change are key topics to be addressed.