Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Research Paper

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Research Paper Example The last program evidently receives the most attention in terms of payment for grants, as in 2007 it reached $1.22 billion and accounted for 61% of all donations (Gates Foundation, Annual report, 2007). Additionally, the Gates Foundation works to improve economic conditions around the world through agricultural developments, financial services, and technology services. In the United States, the Gates Foundation focuses on community grants in the Northwest, technology services in libraries, and education across the country (Hill, 2006). From the critical perspective, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation represents the modern ideal of giving and philanthropy, of what Payton and Moody eloquently described as "[it] is about ideas and values as well as about actionis always an effort to blend the idea and the practical" (Payton and Moody, 4). In 2000, the leadership of the Gates Foundation Education Division was committed to being the most publicly scrutinized philanthropy in American history. The main philanthropic goal of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Education Program is to increase significantly the number of low-income minority students who graduate high school with academic skills needed for success in post secondary education and in the workplace (Smerdon and Means, 1). In February of 2005, Bill Gates spoke at a governor's conference in Washington, DC regarding the condition of American high schools (Hess, 2005). The 45 governors in attendance listened as Bill Gates declared America's high schools obsolete. He elaborated by saying, "By obsolete, I mean that our high schools - even when they're working exactly as designed - cannot teach our kids what they need to know today" (Rhodes et al, 7). Additionally, Gates reviewed some troubling evidence to support his comments regarding the lack of success in Ame rican high schools. Gates made his point with the nation's governors by stating that only 71% of students graduated high school in 2002, and only 34% were minimally prepared for college (Rhodes et al, 7). In addition to improving American high school system, the Gates Foundation actively seeks to change public policy regarding American schools, which include implementation of transparency in school finance, multiple independent school providers, and performance-based accountability (Hill, 2006). The Foundation's commitment to increasing the number of smaller, personalized high schools, and a knowledge base for success in these schools, has led to the National School District and Network Grants Program. This program is taking a twopronged approach with regard to grantee organizations: (a) grantee organizations are developing new, smaller high schools; and (b) grantee organizations are converting larger high schools into smaller learning communities. As a part of the new high school initiative, the foundation provides grants for Early College High Schools (ECHSs) (Smerdon and Means, 1). The Early College High School Initiative focuses specifically on increased academic rigor through blending high school and college education (Smerdon and Means, 1). The ECHSs are purposefully designed to provide students with a high school diploma and an associate's degree, or 2 years of

What made me choose to become a mental health couselor Essay

What made me choose to become a mental health couselor - Essay Example such a wide variety of factors which can negatively impact the emotional stability of today’s global citizens, there must be effective and thoughtful counselors available through which to discuss social and self-related issues and assist people in need to ensure they receive help and/or a rational voice to offer suggestions on how best to make life more satisfying. It is quite common to witness that many people have a very difficult time adjusting to the many complications and expectations which are placed upon them, both by peers or colleagues as well as social acquaintances. There are many social protocols which demand that people act differently than who they really are when in public situations, therefore they never seem to get the opportunity to really reflect who the person is on the inside. When dealing with basic lifestyle complications, coupled with social rules and in-crowd regulations associated with what is considered acceptable behavior, it is not unrealistic that a person will begin to lose the necessary internal balance to lead a healthy, emotionally-sound adult life. These basic stresses, it would seem, also strongly impact the male psyche leading to a considerable amount of domestic abuse and violence against women. When men are being forced to simply comply with inferior business leadership (such as a poor manager or inferior colleague), these frustrations can build up over time. Add to the professional stress a home life which is riddled with bill payment issues or other frustrations caused from an inability to stretch one’s imagination and creativity, it is likely they will lash out at the nearest thing which sometimes involves asserting this aggression against women because they are weaker. In many respects, violence stemming from men is likely this group attempting to assert their dominance over the weaker since they do not have the opportunity to accomplish this at work or socially otherwise. To lash out in the employment environment