Education

Part of supporting the communities where we operate involves building the skills and competencies of others. This type of capacity building often extends to partnerships with public bodies, civil society groups, international institutions and other stakeholders.

For example, GE Foundation is addressing this education imperative in the United States by supporting high-impact initiatives that improve access to, and the equity and quality of, public education. The Developing Futures™ in Education program is one such endeavor, created to raise student achievement through improved math and science curricula and management capacity at the schools. The program has invested nearly $200 million across seven targeted U.S. school districts.

GE people are the cornerstone of this investment, making a difference in school districts through their skills-based volunteerism. In 2010, GE Foundation convened hundreds of U.S. thought leaders, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Governors Association. As a result of the program, school districts continued to see improved proficiency levels in math and science, and since the inception of the grants, all districts in total have saved more than $16 million through GE-led projects.

Developing Futures™ in Education

The GE Foundation Developing Futures™ in Education program is a GE corporate citizenship signature program, with nearly $200 million invested in selected school districts throughout the United States. The program, formerly known as the College Bound District Program, seeks to improve math and science curricula, provide teacher professional development and improve college readiness through a systems-change model that creates effective, sustainable and scalable social change.

The Developing Futures program reflects an innovative approach to philanthropy. It uses a systemic approach that requires collaboration among the districts’ central offices, teachers’ unions, school administrators, local GE volunteers, parents and the community. This approach is designed to ensure that all students in targeted school districts are college-ready, and have the math and science skills and knowledge to succeed in their academic and career pursuits.

Participating school districts include: Atlanta, Georgia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; Louisville, Kentucky; New York City, New York; Stamford, Connecticut; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Share

Video

Arne Duncan, the United States Secretary of Education, was the keynote speaker at the 2009 Developing Futures in Education™ Summer Conference.