The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Environmental driving force of The Future of Technology in Secondary Education in 2020
Description:
Through its partnerships in communities across the United States, the foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students—regardless of race or family income—graduate as strong citizens ready for college, and work. Our Education initiative also works to provide children with opportunities for quality early learning.
Since 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has focused its efforts on improving high schools and increasing the value and relevance of high school diploma. This focus is driven by the belief that high schools represent the area of education with the most acute need and the level of the system most resistant to change - one of the reasons that, until recently, most other funders had shied away from high school reform. They also have funded more than 14,000 scholarships to promising students who do not have the financial means to attend college. In all of these efforts, they are particularly focused on increasing academic achievement, attainment, and ultimately, life outcomes for low-income and minority students.
The Bill & Melinda Foundation also has a Global development program, which is also focused on the improvement of education worldwide, and especially in developing countries. The goal of the foundation's Financial Services for the Poor initiative is to make these services far more available so families in developing countries can survive economic setbacks, build savings, and improve the health and education of their children. The Global development program supports public access to computing in libraries worldwide.
Enablers:
- Government support
- Improves the education system worldwide
- Contributes to economic stability
- Every child around the world will have access to information and computing in libraries
Inhibitors:
- Corrupt government
- There are a large number of developing countries
Paradigms:
By seeing and knowing how this foundation is helping people and children worldwide, especially children in the developing countries, will also motivate others to take the same actions and start contributing to the improvement of global development. People will acknowledge that it is necessary to help and improve the education system, and not only for the developing countries, but for every country. People will realise that education is one of the most important factors for the global development.