Google.org, the tech giant’s philanthropy arm, has committed to empower educators around the world by setting aside a dedicated fund of $50 million to bridge the gaps between students in developed, developing, and underdeveloped nations. After donating $8.4 million last year to NGOs in India, Google.org has announced the second round of funding for educational and learning institutions or organizations in the country.
$1 Million to The Teacher App
Firstly, Google.org will grant $1 million to The Teacher App which provides free learning to teachers and helps them brush up their fundamentals and be able to express concepts to students with better clarity. At the same time, the platform also provides free teaching material to everyone via a smartphone app.
The Teacher App estimates that nearly 9 lakh new teachers join the workforce in India. With this grant from Google, The Teacher App will scale up its operations and try to onboard at least 5 lakh teachers over the next two years. The foundation will also develop more video resources for both the students and the teachers in the fields of science, mathematics, languages, and pedagogy – or teaching about teaching.
$2 Million to Central Square Foundation
Google.org also recognizes the growth of YouTube and its contribution to learning and has also granted $2 million to Central Square Foundation to create more video resources that could assist those interested in learning. Centre Square Foundation will utilize this grant to collaborate with at least 20 content creators and produce high-quality educational videos related to technology, science, mathematics.
These videos will be created in Indian languages to ease understanding for students as well as provide learning even without formal education. Apart from the financial aid, YouTube will also provide technical assistance to the Foundation. In case you’re interested in joining Central Square Foundation as a content creator, you can sign up by visiting this page.
Google.org point towards Annual Status of Education Report from 2017 which says that while 86% of the children between the age of 14 and 18 have joined formal education system, children in elementary schools face problems in developing a strong understanding of concepts.
