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Education Opinion

Taylor Swift’s Education Philanthropy Takes Center Stage

By Matthew Lynch — January 02, 2015 1 min read
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Taylor Swift earned the top spot on DoSomething.org’s Gone Good list for 2014. The list puts public figures in the spotlight for using their fame to support philanthropic efforts. The advocacy group noted a donation to New York City schools by the pop star, and her outspokenness on feminist causes, as the main reasons she tops the list.

Swift surprised everybody during an October appearance on ‘The View’ when she announced that all proceeds from her single, “Welcome to New York” - a track off her new album that escalated to No.1 on iTunes- would be donated to New York City’s public education system.

This marks the third year in a row the 25-year-old has taken the top spot. Laverne Cox, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and Emma Watson make up the rest of the top five spots.

The singer-songwriter has also supported Feeding America, UNICEF and Habitat for Humanity among other philanthropic efforts.

Her selflessness was displayed in 2013 when she donated $4 million to Nashville’s Hall of Fame to endow the Taylor Swift Education Center. The center - which includes three classrooms, an instrument rooms and a children’s exist gallery - marks the largest individual artist gift donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her education center is a place where visitors of all ages can experience the culture of country music.

Taylor Swift is a remarkable young woman who deserves recognition for her charitable efforts. Her 2013 donation to create the Taylor Swift Education Center and her plans to donate to the New York City public school system are acts of extreme generosity that exemplify a selfless woman who is using her fame for the right reasons.

If you would like to invite Dr. Lynch to speak or serve as a panelist at an upcoming event, please email him at lynch39083@aol.com.

The opinions expressed in Education Futures: Emerging Trends in K-12 are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.