As the school was in the building process, a campaign was started called the "Penny Campaign" which was used to raise money for the school. Nearly three and a half million pennies were collected across the southeast to raise funds for the new music building and were taken to the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank to be deposited. GCA opened its doors on August 30, 1965 with 160 students enrolled.
Academics
Technology
Every classroom is equipped with projectors and the school has implemented a one-to-one laptop program where every student has a laptop. A full IT help desk support staff composed of students performs routine maintenance on the laptops. The IT department streams GCA music and athletic events so that parents can watch online, and maintains the school website. The graphics department has done work for various companies.
Performing arts
GCA has a very active performing arts program. The department consists of two choral groups, a drama team, concert band, and other small band ensembles. Camerata, the elite touring group from the school, participates in local community events, weekend trips to churches and schools, and a biennial touring trip to various places around the U.S. The GCA Choral is the school's more general singing group, which is taken as a course for credit and is the largest group on campus. GCA also has a full concert band that performs locally at the GCA church and occasionally goes on tour. Several GCA students have been recognized with various awards and recognition, such as performing in the Southeastern Piano Festival at the University of South Carolina, and the Berry College Concerto Competition.
Athletics
Various athletic opportunities are offered by the school. Students can participate in four varsity team sports, potato chip eating contests, and video game nights. Sports offered at the varsity level include boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' soccer and girls' volleyball. Wally Fox has been the athletic director since 1975.
Mission trips
Three annual mission trips are sponsored by the school. In October, GCA joins Madison Academy and Columbia Adventist Academy to serve the people in the Appalachian foothills of Liberty, Kentucky. They do various jobs such as building churches, school houses, and picnic shelters; painting; and fixing homes in desperate need of repair. During spring break in early March, a group of students travel to Central America to build churches and offer evangelistic meetings. More recently the school has sponsored trips to Thailand and China, working on humanitarian projects with ADRA.
Spiritual aspects
All students take religion classes each year. These classes cover topics in biblical history and Christian and denominational doctrines. Instructors in other disciplines also begin each class period with prayer or a short devotional thought, many of which encourage student input. The entire student body gathers together every week in the auditorium for an hour-long chapel service. Outside the classrooms there is year-round spiritually oriented programming that relies on student involvement.
