Taylor Swift Gives $250,000 to Education

Taylor Swift is sharing her incredibly successful year with those who may not be so fortunate. When the young country superstar turned 20 on Sunday, she celebrated at her family’s Tennessee home with a holiday-themed party. But Swift did more gift-giving than receiving: She donated $250,000 to those schools around the country that she attended or worked with in the past. The generous funds will help pay teachers’ salaries, purchase books, and create other educational programs. “Something I wanted to do at the end of this amazing year and especially on my birthday was give back to something I really believe in, which is education,” Taylor told People magazine. “The schools that I went to and the amazing people I got to learn from really turned me into who I am, and I wanted to give back.” Swift has proven her generosity before, donating $100,000 to an Iowa branch of the Red Cross in 2008 when a flood caused millions of dollars in damages.