what you should Know
- Google pledges to contribute $20 million to the education sector.
- The search giant aims to provide computer science training to 11 million students.
- The new investment increases Google’s commitment to CS by more than $240 million.
Google will donate an additional $20 million as part of its long-standing support for nonprofit organizations. The goal is to expand access to computer science education to 11 million students in the US
Google has been committed to computer science education since 2004, and the new commitment brings total investment to over $240 million.
The new commitment includes supporting nonprofits such as Oakland-based nonprofit The Hidden Genius Project. It primarily provides “black youth with training and mentorship in technology, entrepreneurship and leadership.” It also includes graduate students with no prior knowledge of computer science. Not only this project but others tend to get focus from Google.
“In addition to The Hidden Genius Project, we will provide support to local nonprofits across the country, with a focus on Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Washington, and Los Angeles,” the CEO of Alphabet and Google mentioned in a statement in the blog.
Assistance also extends to some advanced programs. These include the Computing Integrated Teacher Education project at the City University of New York. The goal here is to incorporate CS training into the curriculum for new teachers. Support extends to CodePath in Chicago and Atlanta — “to help students from underrepresented communities work toward technology-based careers.”
Another organization called 4-H provides access to CS education for students in rural and under-resourced communities and is also receiving support with Google’s new commitment. 4-H.org has introduced 1.4 million students to computer science education since 2019. With additional support from Google and its collaborative expansion programs and resources, the organization can help six million young people, along with more than 3,500 educators.
Finally, Pichai suggests that Google will provide “funding to the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, a national network coordinated by the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas at Austin that aims to increase participation in CS education at the state level reforms.”
Google strongly believes that computer science education plays a critical role in building a solid foundation for people and their families, regardless of age and geographic location. And for such people to find a job or start a new business, CS education seems to be essential. Pichai believes that companies like Google are responsible for introducing CS to help these people pursue bright careers in the near future.
The new announcement is also part of the company’s Grow with Google initiative, including funding from Google.org.