Students, administrators and parents at an inner-city charter school in Atlanta were shocked to learn that the Queen of Media, Oprah Winfrey, recently donated thousands to their school!  Ms. Winfrey gifted the Ron Clark Academy with an amazing check for $365,000.  The school’s founder, Ron Clark, created the private charter school in 2007 to give inner-city youth in Atlanta a better chance to succeed academically.  He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show two times- once when he was named the Disney Teacher of the Year in 2000 and again when his teaching book, “The Essential 55,” made the NY Times best-seller list. 

Parents and students of the school were treated to news of the surprise gift at a gathering Wednesday, where many cried at the good news.  The money will reportedly fund scholarships for 26 children to attend the private school, which costs $14,000 per year to attend.  Right now, most of the children attending the school do so with some contribution from their parents, though the majority of the costs are paid for through Clark’s fund-raising efforts with donors.

The school and its students made news this year when a video of the school’s students became a YouTube hit.  The children also performed the rap, “Vote However U Like” on CNN and BET.  Kudos to Ron Clark and his staff for their efforts and to Ms. Winfrey for continuing to enhance the lives of at-risk children by providing them with educational support!

To learn more about the school, click here.  Check out the students’ rap that got them noticed:

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