Chromebooks, the typically inexpensive Chrome OS notebooks popular in classrooms, will soon be distributed to refugees in Europe thanks to a grant from Google.
Google is giving a $5.3 million Google.org grant to the launch of Project Reconnect that will provide nonprofits in Germany with Chromebooks to distribute to refugees. Project Reconnect is an effort by NetHope, a nonprofit organization that works with corporations and nonprofits to provide tech-based solutions to social issues.
The project will distribute 25,000 Chromebooks to refugees, and eligible nonprofits can apply to receive up to 5,000.
NetHope/Facebook
About 1.1 million migrants traveled to Germany last year to escape war and persecution. Refugee aid provided by Chromebooks can give those individuals access to resources including language training, communication with friends and family members, basic news and information, games for children, and other educational activities.
Google has already provided over $6 million to organizations working with refugees in Europe. Last year they also partnered with the International Rescue Committee to provide a data-light version of transportation and medical needs to refugees arriving with mobile devices, and added Arabic to Google Translate for instant visual translation after noticing a major increase in Arabic translations in Germany.
Photo via pestoverde/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)