ATLANTA — A non-profit named in honor of the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis is celebrating a major investment in education and healthcare. The John and Lillian Miles-Lewis Foundation has partnered with the Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO) to launch a new dental scholarship program valued at $8.5 million.

The John Lewis Legacy Scholarship will provide $180,000 over three years to each selected dentist. According to Foundation President Detira Everson, four to five dentists in each GSO class will receive the award.

“This school has had a long-time respect and admiration for Congressman Lewis and his leadership,” Everson said. “When Georgia School of Orthodontics was first envisioned, Congressman Lewis was one of the people who actually signed a letter in support of its creation here in Georgia.”

That letter is now displayed on a plaque inside the school.

In addition to the scholarships, entire GSO classes will participate in immersive experiences centered on John Lewis’s life and legacy. “This is a long-standing relationship, and this is just a new way that they have decided to honor his legacy,” Everson said.

“It’s something he believed in,” she added, noting Lewis’s well-known commitment to education and opportunity.

The scholarship program is set to run for 12 years through the Georgia School of Orthodontics.