will.i.am's charity donation to fund science lessons
will.i.am has persuaded executives of a British charity to use his $800,000 donation to fund science lessons for children.
The Black Eyed Peas star handed his fee from judging duties on Britain's The Voice TV show to an organisation set up by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people.
It has now emerged the musician met with officials at the Prince's
Trust and urged them to use the cash to boost science education
projects, and they agreed to set up classes to be taught in
conjunction with London's prestigious Science Museum.
will.i.am tells the London Evening Standard, "I wanted to donate
this money so if there is a kid somewhere in the ghetto or
undeserving community in London, people just like me, instead of
telling he or she to play sports, let's encourage them to do
science or mathematics... I have no doubt that a kid from Brixton
or East London can create something that changes the world with the
Prince's Trust."
Martina Milburn, chief executive of the Prince's Trust, adds, "It
took my meeting with will.i.am to understand that we as a charity
weren't doing enough to help our young people in the STEM (science,
technology, engineering and maths) subjects and this huge
revolution in technology... When I was listening to will talking
about the kind of things he had achieved with young people, I
suddenly saw the possibilities for our young people... It's not
about turning all young people into engineers. It's about opening
their minds to the possibilities."