Google.org is devoting $50 million in grants to help close the education gap

By Lulu Chang March 21, 2017

google org grant screen shot 2017 03 21 at 1 24 25 pm — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If there is one critical weapon in the fight against inequality, it’s education. After all, Google points out, there remain 130 million students around the world have yet to fully grasp basic subjects like reading and math, even after four years of primary education. But now, the tech giant is hoping to tackle this problem head on by way of $50 million in grants to nonprofits “building tech-based learning solutions,” all of which are geared toward closing the education gap.

Already, Google has given more than $110 million over the course of the last five years with this goal in mind. But this latest announcement serves as Google’s “largest dedicated portfolio” to date and focuses on nine organizations representing countries from across the world. Not only will Google be providing financial support but Google volunteers will also aid in various areas of expertise, including user experience design, translation, offline functionality, and data analytics.

“Our education grants will focus on three areas where technology can help: giving more students access to quality learning materials, supporting teacher development, and reaching students in conflict zones,” Google noted in a blog post announcement. “Around the world, students in low-income communities have to learn with fewer books, out-of-date texts, and materials that are culturally irrelevant or even in the wrong language.” But with technology, Google hopes to overcome geographic and financial hurdles, and provide students with educational resources that are engaging, interactive, and ultimately, effective.

Google will focus primarily on three key issues — first, giving students the right materials to succeed; second, keeping teachers trained and engaged; and finally, helping students learn in crisis. You can stay up to date on Google’s progress by signing up for the company’s education email list.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Computing

How to change margins in Google Docs

Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content --- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Computing

What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app

A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Computing

Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs

A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.