Google.org, the tech company’s philanthropy arm, recently announced that it is investing over $25 million to support five education nonprofits that help educators and students learn more about using artificial intelligence. The initiative plans to reach over half a million K-12 and college students and educators, giving them the skills they need to use AI responsibly in the classroom and the workplace.
- International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) will launch GenerationAI, an initiative to provide educators with the knowledge, tools and confidence to safely and responsibly capture the power of AI in the classroom. Through collaboration with the National Education Association (NEA), Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), Center for Black Educator Development (CBED), Latinos for Education (L4E), Indigitize and Playlab, ISTE’s GenerationAI programming will reach educators across the country through high-quality professional learning on AI, specifically created by and for educators.
- 4-H will increase access to AI knowledge and skills for rural students and educators nationwide, including targeted local programming in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Pennsylvania.
- aiEDU will close AI literacy gaps for underserved students by delivering a high-quality AI curriculum and capacity-building in rural and Indigenous communities.
- CodePath will create and deliver industry-vetted AI coursework to underserved college computing students.
- STEM From Dance will close gender gaps in STEM by developing and delivering foundational AI content to girls of colour, allowing them to enhance dance choreography through sound, animation and technology.
In addition to Google.org funding, ISTE and 4-H will incorporate Google AI learning resources into their training. The organizations will offer Generative AI for Educators, a two-hour, self-paced course designed to help educators save time and enhance student learning with generative AI tools. This course is one of many resources available from Google to help people learn AI skills across all sectors, including the Google AI Essentials course and the addition of AI training within the Google Career Certificates programme.
The latest announcement builds on the impact of Google.org’s $75M AI Opportunity Fund, which will help over one million Americans learn essential AI skills by funding best-in-class workforce development and education organizations nationwide. Through these new initiatives, Google.org aims to equip the next generation of professionals and educators with crucial AI skills for the classroom and beyond.
