Famed technology entrepreneur Bill Gates knows about schools in the Northeast Tennessee Valley.

The billionaire’s Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was one of the recent contributors to a $21 million Investing in Innovation (i3) grant approved for the Northeast Tennessee College and Career Ready Consortium. The consortium was organized by the Greeneville-based Niswonger Foundation, which is partnering with 15 local education agencies to earmark the money for advanced academic initiatives at 29 high schools in 11 counties throughout the Valley.

A primary goal of the grant is to better prepare students to pursue top careers, so they can contribute to the economic growth of Tennessee.

“The Niswonger Foundation was founded 10 years ago by Scott Niswonger (pronounced NICE-wonger), a successful area businessman who believes that communities build their economic growth through a strong education system,” says Linda Irwin, director of school partnerships for the Niswonder Foundation. “To secure the $21 million federal i3 grant for local schools, we had to provide a percentage of matching private funds. One of the contributors was the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which believed in what we are doing. It’s nice to mention Bill Gates’ name when you’re trying to raise money for education.”

Greeneville High Students Learn Chinese

The $21 million will be distributed over five years for initiatives such as online learning, Advanced Placement and dual enrollment opportunities, career and college counseling, and distance learning technology.

“One of the distance learning classes currently taking place is a Chinese language course being taught at Greeneville High School, and through real-time distance learning it is offered to three other high schools in the region,” Irwin says.

Scholarships a Smart Investment

Some of the i3 grant money is also going toward scholarships for top students in Northeast Tennessee Valley.

“It’s a very selective process – we recently chose only 10 students from a batch of 130 nominations we received,” Irwin says. “A key stipulation to receiving a scholarship is that each student must commit to returning to Tennessee after their college graduation to become a community leader in this state. We want the graduates to become important factors in the overall workforce and economy of Tennessee.”

New Unicoi Middle School Tops in Tech

Another piece of recent good news on the Valley education front was the opening of a new Unicoi County Middle School in August 2010. The school was constructed with a focus on energy-efficient features and innovative technology, which includes classrooms equipped with advanced sound systems connected to interactive touch-enabled smart boards.

Students in some classrooms also have access to iPads, and the school is purchasing more to use as a teaching tool for raising test scores.

“Providing students with more opportunities to use technology is something that our teachers are excited about,” says John English, principal of Unicoi County Middle School.