AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The Bill and Linda Gates Foundation has awarded a $1.3 million grant to the Amarillo Area Foundation.
The process began nine months ago when Amarillo was one of four cities being considered for the grant. The three-year demonstration project is part of the Gates Foundation post-secondary success initiative. The goal is to double the number of young adults getting post-secondary credentials by 2025.
President and CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation Clay Stribling said reports on progress will help all communities participating in the same project to learn from one another.
"They can find out what's working in our community and we can find out what's working in their community," he said. "And and all of the projects can benefit from learning the lessons that we all learn."
Amarillo Mayor Paul Harpole said the grant will improve life for everyone living in Amarillo.
"Without this, we couldn't be able to develop jobs. Without this, the 20,00 people projected to move here in the next 10 years would not have the ability to grow and prosper in our city," he said. "But with this, those needs will be met."
The project also received local commitments totaling $1.4 million over the next five years and progress of the project will be reported to the Gates Foundation for monitoring.
