The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established the United States Program with the goal of reducing inequities and increasing access to opportunities for America’s low-income and most vulnerable people. The program focuses on significantly increasing the number of students who graduate from high school with the skills needed to succeed in college and work, expanding access to information through technology in public libraries serving disadvantaged communities, and improving the lives of at-risk children, youth, and families in Washington and Greater Portland, Oregon.
We hope to accomplish these goals through four initiatives:
I. Education
As a nation, we are failing to ensure that all our young people reach their full potential. Nearly one-third of American high school students don’t graduate, and more than half of those who do aren’t ready for college. U.S. high schools were designed 50 years ago to prepare students for a far different, manufacturing-based economy. In today’s world—where almost all jobs that pay a family wage demand some post-secondary education—effective high schools are more critical than ever to the future of our society, economy, and democracy.
Our goal is to significantly increase the number of students—particularly low-income, Hispanic and African American students—who graduate from high school with the skills they need to succeed in college and work. Our education initiative has three components:
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Ensure All Students Graduate Prepared for College and Work
When it comes to preparing all students for college, work, and citizenship, we know what works: schools that offer the new 3Rs—rigorous instruction, a relevant curriculum, and meaningful, supportive relationships. To make sure our schools give all students the benefit of the new 3Rs, we encourage districts and states to raise standards and boost high school graduation requirements; strengthen curricula, instruction, and advising systems; and create a variety of high-quality high schools so all students can graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in college and work.
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Expanding Access to Higher Education
The foundation seeks to increase access to and preparation for higher education through scholarships and programs for promising students who don’t have the financial means to attend college. Scholarships are designed to help academically talented, low-income, and minority students continue their education; extend overseas opportunities to promising international graduate students; and support efforts by Washington-area high schools that combine high school reform with scholarship opportunities.
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Support Early Learning in Washington State
More than half of the children who enter kindergarten in Washington state each year lack the skills educators believe they need to succeed in school. But research clearly demonstrates that high-quality early learning, including support and education for parents, can close this gap in school-readiness.
The foundation is working with public and private partners, including Thrive by Five: The Washington Early Learning Fund. Together, we are investing in demonstration communities, promising models in other communities, and statewide efforts to build and support the necessary infrastructure so all children in Washington state have access to quality early learning opportunities and the greatest chance at success in school and life.
II. The Pacific Northwest
There are significant inequities in our region that impact children and families, and a growing number of families struggle to get by. On any given night, over 25,000 individuals are homeless in Washington state, 40 percent of whom are families with children. In addition, 10 percent of all Washington children (aged 0-17)—a total of 145,000 children—have two or more risk indicator factors, putting them at increased risk of negative life outcomes. In order to effect positive change in the lives of our region’s most vulnerable residents, our approach involves both proactive and responsive grant making.
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Support Stronger Communities
We support non-profit, government, and tribal organizations in Washington state and Greater Portland, Oregon, that work to reduce barriers and increase opportunity for low income children, youth, and families. The community brings forth proposals and we fund the best strategies and programs that result in good outcomes for at-risk kids and families. We are also proactively learning about effective youth development interventions and how to best target grants to improve life outcomes for the most vulnerable, high-risk youth.
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Support Sound Families
Recent data tells us that as many as 9,000 families with children are homeless in Washington state on any given night. Launched in 2001, the Sound Families Initiative provides funding for new transitional housing linked with support services for homeless families and families in danger of becoming homeless in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Sound Families helps homeless families in numerous ways beyond putting a roof over their heads. Support services such as job training, domestic violence counseling, and substance abuse recovery programs are combined with safe and stable housing to keep families together and create a path toward self sufficiency. To date, 86 percent of families have secured permanent housing upon exiting their transitional program; 89 percent continued to reside in permanent housing six months after leaving the program.
III. U.S. Libraries
It has become virtually impossible for Americans to succeed without computers and the Internet, and millions of people in the U.S., most of them low-income and disadvantaged individuals, rely on public libraries for their primary access to this essential technology.
Our work in U.S. Libraries began in 1997 with one goal: ensuring that if you could reach a public library, you could reach the Internet. Now, nearly every library offers computer and Internet services, and 14 million Americans regularly use these computers. Yet, many libraries struggle to meet their patrons’ needs, either because the libraries don’t have enough computers, the computers they have are old, or their Internet connections are too slow.
Today, the U.S. Library Initiative helps public libraries continue to offer free, quality computer and Internet services so disadvantaged people have equal access to information and educational and economic opportunities. Focusing on libraries that are most vulnerable to having their services become outdated, our strategies seek to increase the number of libraries that can regularly upgrade their computers and possess high-speed connectivity. We will also work to help ensure public libraries have the training and technical support they need.
IV. Special Initiatives
Special Initiatives is an area of giving that is focused on learning about potential new areas of giving that are determined by the foundation. Based on what we are learning, the foundation will determine whether these areas become initiatives under our long-term program strategies. Our current investments are helping us both increase our understanding of new areas and test hypotheses within them.
In addition to developing new potential portfolios of giving, Special Initiatives will fund one-time opportunities that allow the foundation to respond to unique challenges and unanticipated events where the foundation determines it has a unique opportunity to contribute. An example of this type of giving is the U.S. Program's Special Initiatives funding to help public libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi that were damaged in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita reestablish lost services.