Teach For China to Receive US$1.5 Million Donation from Li Ka Shing Foundation

BEIJING, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Teach For China ("TFC"), a nonprofit organization seeking to address educational inequality in China's low income communities, has announced the receipt of a US$1.5 million donation from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, a charitable organization based in Hong Kong.  

The donation will be used to augment Teach For China's program support and implementation, as well as its expansion from Yunnan Province into Guangdong. The grant is structured as a two-year commitment of US$700,000 and US$800,000 per year respectively, with the first installment to be paid in 2011.

Sir Li Ka Shing noted, "Without adequate commitment by society to redress the inequality of access to quality education, harmony and prosperity are but theoretical elegance. Teach For China and Shantou University's joint focus will bring about a critical difference in primary and secondary schools in Chaoshan's rural area."

"Teach For China is honored to receive support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, one of the most distinguished and visionary philanthropic organizations in the world," commented Andrea Pasinetti, Teach For China's founder and CEO. "This generous gift puts us considerably closer to our target of seeing 1,000 of our teachers serving more than 150,000 of China's poorest students in 2015."

Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese State Councilor for Education Madame Liu Yandong announced that Teach For China has been identified as an official driver in the U.S.-China bilateral '100,000 Strong' Initiative.

"As President Obama has regularly stated, many of the best ambassadors in the U.S.-China relationship are our young people," said Kurt M. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, "that is why we are delighted that Teach For China, which sends recent American college graduates to teach for two years in underserved schools in China, is expanding in support of the '100,000 Strong' Initiative. Teach for China's well-trained Fellows… will be an important part of the next generation of leaders who will manage the bilateral relationship. We look forward to seeing the contributions Teach For China Fellows will make to their school communities, to society and to U.S.-China relations."

Teach For China's formal engagement in the '100,000 Strong' Initiative was announced at the US-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange in Washington DC and San Francisco, and coincided with Teach For China officially changing its name from China Education Initiative (CEI).

About Teach For China

Established in 2008, Teach For China (TFC) is inspired by the vision that one day, all Chinese children will have access to a quality education. Teach For China takes a unique approach to eliminating educational inequity by enlisting the US and China's most promising future leaders in the effort. In partnership with the global network Teach For All (www.teachforall.org), Teach For China recruits, selects, trains, and supports outstanding US and Chinese graduates to work side-by-side to deliver an excellent education in high poverty, rural Chinese communities.

In the short-term, Teach For China's Fellows are placed in full-time, two-year teaching commitments at under-resourced schools, where they meet the pressing need for exceptional educators. In the long-term, Teach For China supports its alumni – equipped with the experience, conviction, and insight that comes from leading children to fulfill their potential – to be a force for change, working from across sectors to expand educational opportunity.

Teach For China has garnered the support and recognition of thought leaders in the Western and Chinese academic, business, non-profit, and government spheres, and is financially supported by a diverse range of stakeholders including government, corporations, foundations, and high net worth individuals. Major supporters of Teach For China's efforts include the Li Ka Shing Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Swire Group, Guangzhou R&F Properties, and Yunnan government partners. www.TFChina.org

About the Li Ka Shing Foundation

The Li Ka Shing Foundation was established in 1980 by global entrepreneur and philanthropist Li Ka Shing. Mr Li considers the Foundation to be his "third son" and has pledged one-third of his assets to it. To date, the Foundation has granted over HK$12.1 billion (US$1.55 billion) in charitable donations, approximately 90 per cent of which has gone to the Greater China region.

About the '100,000 Strong' initiative

The '100,000 Strong' initiative is a national effort designed to increase dramatically the number and diversify the composition of young Americans working and studying in China. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in conjunction with Chinese State Councilor for Education Madame Liu Yandong, officially launched the initiative in May 2010 in Beijing.  This initiative seeks to prepare the next generation of American experts on China who will be charged with managing the growing political, economic and cultural ties between the United States and China.