Foundation invests in education site

SEATTLE – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing $4.1 million in a Web site that helps teachers raise money for classroom projects.

Stephen Colbert, the host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” helped make the announcement of the gift to donorschoose.org, of which is a board member. On the Web site, teachers describe projects they wish they had money to create for their students. Individuals who visit donorschoose.org pick which projects they want to support.

The donation by the foundation, headed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, will cover half the cost of projects that promote college readiness among students in high-need and underserved public schools. The grant is expected to help support more than 17,000 classroom projects across the nation.

Vicki Phillips, director of the education program at the Gates Foundation, expressed hope that the partnership will give citizen donors more incentive to help public school teachers. The Web site also has corporate sponsors including Crate & Barrel, J.P. Morgan Chase and U.S. Cellular.

“Comedy is hard, but education is harder,” Phillips said during her remarks at Tuesday’s announcement at Manhattan Bridges High School in New York.

Colbert rewarded her with a small giggle, then instructed her on how to get laughs at a news conference in front of high school students by asking, “Does Bill Gates ever talk about me?”

Phillips replied that she expected Bill and Melinda Gates do spend some time talking about Colbert.

Colbert also got serious about the cause he has promoted on this TV show. “As I endeavor to protect our children from bears, donorschoose.org is protecting public school kids from classrooms that lack the materials necessary to rigorously prepare them for college.”