The Global Reach of the Gates Foundation
Memphis, Tenn.
Improving the American education system is a primary focus of the foundation's work. Memphis City Schools, above, are among the beneficiaries of $335 million in grants aimed at improving teacher effectiveness and the fair and reliable measurement thereof, increasing the number of effective teachers and supporting and rewarding those teachers who are increasing student achievement. Ultimately, the foundation is committed to dramatically increasing the number of students who obtain a college or postsecondary degree. Part of that effort includes eight college-scholarship programs, the largest of which is the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which shepherds more than $1.5 billion to approximately 10,000 minority students trying to afford college. "Our goal as a nation," Bill says, "should be to ensure that 80% of our students graduate from high school fully ready to attend college by 2025. This goal will probably be more difficult to achieve than anything else the foundation works on."