Join Sophia Bush in Giving Away $5 Million for Education With Target

It's no surprise that we at Marie Claire are constantly impressed with all that Target brings to the table. From incredibly stylish and affordable designer collaborations (opens in new tab) to its famously sharp and chic commercials (opens in new tab), Target has truly revolutionized what it means to be a shopping mega-store. And now, Target is once again improving upon one of our favorite commodities (no, not shopping): education.

Do-it-all activist — not to mention glamazon and award-winning actress — Sophia Bush stopped by the MC offices last week to tell us a bit about her involvement in Target's Give With Target program (opens in new tab). As Bush explained, Give With Target will donate up to $5 million to schools across the country — in what is virtually "free money," Bush excitedly repeated. But here's what makes Target different: Its guests — educators and students — are the ones who get to allocate the full donation.

Here's how it works: Guests can head to Target's Facebook page and vote for their school of choice (opens in new tab) once a week. The best part? Target will donate $1 per vote after a school receives 25 votes until Sept. 21. No caveats, no small print — just $5 million to give away.

Education is one of many important topics for which Bush advocates, often using the fundraising site Crowdrise (opens in new tab) to raise money for the organization Pencils of Promise (opens in new tab), among others. "Girls need to know how smart it is to be sexy," she told us. "The most moving moments occur when I get notes and messages from girls telling me they studied so hard for their test and that boosted their scores — and that they've never felt better. I get so emotional reading those. There's nothing better."