Google.org Unveils AI Funding for Students, Educators

The world of education is buzzing with the potential of artificial intelligence, and Matthew Jones, a special education teacher, is right in the thick of it. He's been diving into AI training with the International Society for Technology in Education and is seeing some pretty cool results. Matthew juggles four subjects across three grade levels, and what used to be a headache—finding the right resources for his students—has become a breeze thanks to AI. "It's totally changed the game for me," he says. "I've got more time on my hands now, and I'm better prepared for my students than ever."

Over at Google, we're pretty stoked about what AI can do for education. We're all about making sure everyone—educators and students alike—has a fair shot at the skills and resources they need to succeed in today's world and beyond. It's not just Matthew who's into this; over 30% of educators are already playing around with AI tools, and with 72% of students looking for the lowdown on using generative AI the right way, it's clear that AI's future in education is bright.

Today, Google.org is throwing over $25 million at five education groups to help more than 500,000 educators and students across the U.S. get a handle on AI basics. They're doing this through new AI curriculums, teacher training, and some pretty cool, inclusive AI learning experiences:

• The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is kicking off GenerationAI, a project to arm educators with the know-how, tools, and confidence to use AI safely and effectively in the classroom. They're teaming up with the National Education Association (NEA), Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), Center for Black Educator Development (CBED), Latinos for Education (L4E), Indigitize, and Playlab to spread the word across the country with top-notch professional learning on AI, made by educators, for educators.
• 4-H is making sure rural students and educators don't get left behind, with special programs in states like Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Pennsylvania.
• aiEDU is working to bridge the AI literacy gap for underserved students, bringing high-quality AI curriculum and support to rural and Indigenous communities.
• CodePath is rolling out industry-approved AI courses for underserved college computing students.
• STEM From Dance is tackling gender gaps in STEM by teaching foundational AI to girls of color, helping them jazz up their dance choreography with sound, animation, and tech.

On top of the Google.org funding, ISTE and 4-H are weaving in Google's AI learning resources into their training. They're offering a two-hour, self-paced course called Generative AI for Educators, which is all about saving time and boosting student learning with generative AI tools. This is just one of many resources Google has to help folks learn AI skills across different fields, including the Google AI Essentials course and AI training in the Google Career Certificates program.

This latest move builds on the success of Google.org's $75 million AI Opportunity Fund, which is set to help over a million Americans get up to speed on essential AI skills by supporting top-notch workforce development and education groups across the country. With these new efforts, Google.org is all about getting the next wave of professionals and educators ready with the AI skills they need for the classroom and beyond.