Google's New Grant Gets Chromebooks To Refugees

Google has announced a grant that will go toward getting Chromebooks into the hands of nonprofits working with refugees in Germany. The grant will be for $5.3 million and will come from Google.org in support of NetHope's Project Reconnect with the ultimate goal being "easier access to education" for refugees.

Google points toward the educational needs of refugees who have migrated from their war-torn region of the world to Germany, where they'll have the uphill task of learning a new language, skills, and eventually continuing their education. Google has heavily pushed its Chrome OS and related Chromebooks for educational purposes, and this is the latest extension of that.

SlashGear 101: Google Chromebook

Google points toward several Chromebook benefits that mesh well with educational needs, such as support for educational apps, automatic updates including virus protection, and management features that allow a central admin to setup the machines for users.

This isn't Google's first involvement with the refugee crisis – late last year, for example, the company announced donation matching which raised millions in mere hours. The company also boosted its German to Arabic and English to Arabic translation options, giving users the ability to instantly translate between the languages visually, such as translating a sign post.

SOURCE: Google