Google has announced that it is donating $1 million to the Mountain View Whisman School District. The grant, which will focus on mathematics education, was announced just as the district was searching for ways to fund its math-focused curriculum. It will be used to support district-wide training for teachers and an ongoing review and evaluation process, as well as augmenting and improving classroom instruction. A special focus of the grant will be assisting disadvantaged students, who need the most help in math.
“We are truly humbled by the company’s generosity and sincere desire to help the district’s neediest students,” said District Superintendent Craig Goldman, upon receiving news of the grant. He went on to note that success in mathematics is an important indicator of students’ success in higher education.
Google’s Heather Stone said that the purpose of the grant was to “level the playing field” and encourage students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. “There are a lot of jobs in technology,” she said. “There are going to be a lot of jobs in the future in technology. … Not only that, … we all need those skills.”