Posted by Need some positive news spin for today? Well word came out this week that search giant Google has fully funded the classroom requests of every Los Angeles Unified School District teacher on the education crowd-funding site DonorsChoose.org.
Google’s nearly $1 million donation means that 769 Los Angeles teachers will instantly receive materials for their 75,108 students. Everything from pens and pencils to books, laptops, and microscopes.
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This isn’t the first time Google has supported DonorsChoose.org programs over the years. They’ve flashed funded other major cities in recent months similarly to L.A., and there was also $5 million AP STEM Access program Google helped out with, which launched over 500 new AP STEM courses at high poverty schools nationwide.
For those who don’t know DonorsChoose.org is an online crowd funding platform that allows public school teachers from all over America to post classroom project requests, for which John Q. Public is free to contribute towards, at a rate of as little as $1 per. So basically, Kickstarters for classrooms.
The optimist in me surely rejoices at this token of corporate benevolence, but I think it’s fair to point out that with the L.A. iPad program kind of burst up in flames, and LAUSD potentially looking for a new tech giant to partner with, there might just an opportunity for vendor to come in with an alternative bid to save the way. And hey, why not Google who just did us a solid for the LAUSD?
Plus, even if Google doesn’t get funds from the city for a new tablet program, this is flash funding is some super-awesome PR (I mean, did you watch the video below!?!)
Orrrrrr maybe I’m reading too much into it…
Either way, glad to see teachers getting the supplies they need. That’s always a win, no matter who the benefactor is. So, in that regard, thanks Google!
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