Braving rain and cold weather, some 500 school choice supporters gathered outside the Georgia State Capitol Tuesday to rally for alternative school options.

The event gave parents, students, teachers and state lawmakers a platform on which to promote alternative education and to lobby for an increase in vouchers for public school pupils who want to attend private schools.

Gathered under a tent and wearing bright yellow ponchos, demonstrators at the event -- which began around 10 a.m. and ended before noon -- held placards that read "I Yearn to Learn" and "School Choice Now."

Speaking to the gathering were two students who spoke about the nurturing they have received through home schooling and a military mom who praised  the options she has found outside of traditional public schools.

The rally was sponsored by several groups including the Georgia Charter Schools Association and the Center for An Educated Georgia, an educational advocacy organization, in recognition of National School Choice Week. 

The primary purpose of the rally, according to the rally Web site www.schoolchoicerally.com was to “celebrate Georgia's school choice options and rally in support of a quality education for all Georgia students.”