Grants That Make a Difference
July 1, 2007
"Grants that Make a Difference" highlights grants given to Southeastern organizations that have helped make a difference in people's lives. Getting the grant is only the beginning of the story. At least once a month, "Grants That Make a Difference" will profile these important grants and what their recipients are doing with them.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $10.5 million grant to Atlanta Public Schools to accelerate and expand its high school transformation initiative.
The Atlanta school system is working to transform all of its large, traditional high schools into small schools or learning communities over the next five years to ensure all students receive a high-quality education.
“We have a unique opportunity in Atlanta to create a culture of high expectations and high achievement for our students,” said Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall at a news conference to announce the grant at The New Schools at Carver. “We are headed in the right direction, particularly with the strong support of our community and a firm belief that every student in every school can reach their full potential in learning environments that challenge and support them.”
The first two schools to be redesigned are South Atlanta High School and D.M. Therrell High School, both of which are scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. Each will comprise four small, theme-based schools that emphasize a personalized and academically rigorous learning environment.
To implement changes at the two schools, the district's newly created Office of High School Redesign will partner with the Institute for Student Achievement, which works with school districts around the country to transform large, underperforming high schools into academically rigorous and personalized small learning communities that improve academic performance, raise graduation rates, and cultivate a college-going culture. In 2005, ISA helped the Atlanta school system remake George W. Carver Senior High School into the New Schools at Carver, which includes five small schools with a college prep focus.
"We know that with rigorous and challenging coursework, along with the supportive relationships with teachers and adults needed to meet high standards, all students can achieve at high levels," said ISA president and CEO Dr. N. Gerry House. "We look forward to building on our progress and our strong and productive partnership in Atlanta to ensure that every young person can thrive in a high-quality high school."
Throughout Georgia, the Gates Foundation has invested more than $13 million in schools and districts to help raise graduation and college-readiness rates. The foundation provides professional development for superintendents and principals and establishes high-quality education options for students, including early college high schools and performance learning centers. To date, the foundation has invested more than $1.7 billion to improve high schools, supporting more than 1,800 schools in 47 states and the District of Columbia.
Recipient Contact Information:
Recipient Name: Atlanta Public Schools
Address: 130 Trinity Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-802-2809
URL: www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/content/apshome.aspx
Grantmaker Contact Information:
Grantmaker Name: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Year Founded: 1994
Address: P.O. Box 23350
Seattle, WA 98102-0650
Phone: 206-709-3100
FAX: 206-709-3180
Contact: Grant Inquiry Coordinator
Email: info@gatesfoundation.org
URL: www.gatesfoundation.org
The selection of organizations for the "Grants that Make a Difference" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size of funding programs to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.
If you'd like to see support for your organization featured in "Grants that Make a Difference," e-mail a detailed description of the grant, including the name and contact information of the funder and of your organization, the amount given, and how the grant made a difference. For your convenience, we have provided a template to follow. We welcome press releases in addition to, or as a substitute for, the information in the template.
Email the description or press release to
atweb@foundationcenter.org, with "Grants that Make a Difference" in the subject line.
Recipient Name:
Project Name:
Organization Mission and how it relates to the project:
Beneficiaries or Community Impact:
Funding Partner(s): (Grantmaker Names)
Grant Amount:
Recipient Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
Grantmaker Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
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