Last year, the Ayers Foundation Scholarship Program funded $1.4 million in scholarships for students in Tennessee’s rural counties of Decatur, Henderson, Perry, and Unicoi.

And college counselors working for the Foundation secured another $6 million. The mission of Jim and Janet Ayers, the foundation’s founders, is to level the playing field for students in these rural communities by providing educational opportunities that students would never otherwise have. Since its inception in 1999, more than 4,300 students have been positively impacted by the Ayers Foundation Scholarship Program. It is with great pleasure that we introduce the forces behind the Foundation, Jim and Janet Ayers.

Read More: How This TN Educational Initiative Lead to a 400% Increase in Post-Secondary Education