The Get Schooled Foundation (also Get Schooled or getschooled.com) is a US national
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
that helps young people in education and career development.
History
Get Schooled was founded in 2009, with 501(c)(3) status granted in 2010, by the
Gates Foundation
The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...
and
Viacom
Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2005), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Pa ...
, also with involvement from Viacom's subsidiary
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
.
It began as a five year initiative to "generate greater awareness and engagement in addressing the nation’s education crisis and to offer practical resources and support to students."
The nonprofit released a documentary titled ''Get Schooled: You Have the Right'', featuring
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
,
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
, and
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...
.
Part of the initiative included consultation between the Gates Foundation and Viacom networks to influence programming to include storylines based around education on existing shows or create new shows centered on education. The money provided by the foundation was used to "indirectly subsidize Viacom's programming".
Taco Bell
Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...
partnered with Get Schooled in 2013 to launch Graduate for Más, a program to help students graduate from high school.
In 2016,
DJ Khaled
Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...
was named the national spokesperson of Get Schooled, using Khaled's social media presence to promote multiple programs.
The Gates Foundation provided a $250,000 grant to Get Schooled in 2019.
In 2020, UK cyber security company TurgenSec reported a data breach of Get Schooled's website, leaving a database of 930,000 email addresses of children and students "open and accessible".
[{{cite web , last1=Fildes , first1=Nic , title=US student data left unsecured by Get Schooled , url=https://www.ft.com/content/29a1eb7f-c8c8-4ef6-8473-23d5568e5ac8 , website=Financial Times , access-date=26 January 2025] The database also included names, ages, gender, and school and graduation details. Get Schooled disputed the size of the breach, claiming that only 250,000 accounts were exposed and about 75,000 of those accounts were linked to active email addresses.
References
Education in New York City