By Hanson Chidozie, Special Correspondent, with agency report
Google, a leading internet search company, has stepped up its commitment to Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) by proposing to invest a princely 50 million Dollars, in helping make education reach many educationally disadvantaged countries in the developing world.
There are 130 million students around the world who haven’t learned basic math or reading, even after being in school for several years, according to UNESCO.
Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, wants to whittle down that number. Over the next two years, the internet giant says it would give $50 million in grants to nonprofits focused on improving education in developing countries using tech-based learning tools, the company said Tuesday. There are nine grantees so far, and Google.org intends to give grants to nonprofits in 20 countries by the end of the year.
“Technology can bypass the geographic and financial boundaries that block educational resources from reaching students, while also making those resources more engaging, interactive and effective,” Brigitte Hoyer-Gosselink, the education lead for Google.org, announced in a blog post.
These grants are aimed at three main areas: getting to students in combat zones, providing quality learning materials and aiding in teacher development.