Tag Archives: google.org

Kwentuhan: Sharing our stories this Filipino American History Month

“Kwentuhan” roughly translates to “sharing stories” in English. For Filipino American History Month, or Kapamilya Month as our Filipino Googler Network refers to it, we sat down with Paolo Malabuyo, Director of User Experience in Google Maps and executive sponsor of the Filipino Googler Network, to learn about his story.

As a child growing up in the Philippines, we heard you were somewhat of a Lego competition legend. How did this kickstart your interest in working in UX and design?

I was the youngest of four and I always felt like I was in the shadow of my older, smarter, more athletic and more accomplished siblings. I don’t recall having many ideas about what I wanted to be when I grew up, until my grandmother immigrated to the United States in the 1960s and started sending small handfuls of Lego pieces through the mail.

This started my fascination with Lego and culminated in my participation in Lego competitions across the Philippines. I still think that the greatest job in the world is designing Lego sets.

  • Paolo standing with two Lego boxes on either side of him. In front of him on the table is a fully constructed Lego set.

    Paolo with his winning build and prizes.

  • Paolo sitting at a table building a Lego set in a room full of others also focused on their Lego creations. To his right, a man stands over his shoulder watching him build the set

    A younger Paolo during a Lego competition with Larry Alcala, famous Filipino cartoonist, looking on as a judge.

  • Four people sit on a stage for a panel discussion

    Paolo (third from left) on a panel of designers at Adobo Design Week in Manila, Philippines

I immigrated to the States right before my 12th birthday and picked up drawing, reading, and crafting. This developed into a real affinity for art. I ended up getting a BFA in art and minors in communication design, art history and Chinese studies. I also took basic programming classes and learned web design by emulating early websites.

Like Lego pieces, my early days of creatively building, combined with my art education and CS study were what constructed my career today. I got my first role as a graphic designer which started my roundabout journey to become a UX designer, leader and educator.

Can you talk about your role at Google?

I lead the cross-disciplinary user experience teams for Geo Auto and Geo Sustainability. In Auto, we design and deliver the in-car, embedded Google Maps experiences for navigation, routing, and situational awareness so that drivers are safer and more confident, with a major focus on electric vehicles. In Sustainability, we provide platforms, insights, and solutions that help users and partners tackle climate change – the preeminent challenge for humanity today. It’s an incredibly interesting portfolio and it’s such a privilege to work with our teams and clients.

As an executive sponsor for the FIlipino Googler Network, I get to work closely with other teams across Google on projects that impact the Filipino community. One example is the work happening on Maps to help business owners identify themselves, including the introduction of the Asian-owned attribute earlier this year. This attribute will help many Filipino businesses be recognized by current and future customers.

What else is Google doing in support of Filipino culture?

It’s great to see how Google’s products and services are celebrating Filipino culture and elevating our voices. This month, we ran a beautiful Google Doodle in the Philippines which celebrated the Regatta de Zamboanga, an annual sailing competition from the southern part of the country.

Six sailboats with the letters on the flags spelling GOOGLE.

Google TV is highlighting recent movies and TV shows that tell Filipino American stories and feature Filipino American lead actors in its “For you” tab.

The Google TV interface on the For you page displaying an image of Jacob Batalon with fangs promoting a TV show “Reginald the Vampire”

One of Google TV's highlighted shows for Filipino American History Month

And Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with amazing organizations to celebrate the rich culture and history of the Philippines, including the Filipinas Heritage Library, Filipino Street Art Project, and the Ballet Philippines.

Earlier, you talked about how you grew up in the Philippines. What role do you think Google has to play in supporting the local community?

Google has amazing resources that can help the people in the Philippines. We’ve done a lot to support inclusive distance learning, from a Google.org grant to help teachers, to the national deployment of G Suite for Education to 22 million learners in partnership with the Department of Education. We’re collaborating with local telecommunications companies to bring mobile access to learning tools and started a virtual training camp for Filipino YouTubers to accelerate development of quality learning content on the platform. Just last month, we announced we will be giving away Google Career Certificate scholarships to 39,000 Filipino youths.

Commitments like these are super valuable, and I’m grateful for the work to come.

Source: Google LatLong


Increasing access to mental healthcare in Ireland

Mental health illnesses impact more than 84 million people across the European Union, with Ireland being one of the most affected countries. Across Ireland, but particularly in rural communities, access to support services can change everything. Turn2Me is an Irish nonprofit on a mission to offer safe and timely mental health services online and break the stigma. Google.org sat down with Fiona O’Malley, CEO, to learn more.

What is Turn2Me’s story?

Oisin and Diarmuid Scollard funded Turn2Me in 2009, six years after their brother Cormac committed suicide. The vision was to create a safe space for anyone in need to get professional help online. In 2013, Turn2Me gained the support of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention to deliver counseling online. Over the years, we have assisted more than 110,000 people with one-to-one and group support services online and our website now has 45,000 active users.

How is Turn2Me increasing access to mental healthcare in Ireland?

Our online-first, year-round free assistance helps us reach people who might otherwise be excluded because of the cost of counseling services or their location. We also join forces with other nonprofits to make our services known in rural areas across Ireland – and among young generations, LGBTQIA+ groups, and more.

Headshot of Fiona O'Malley, the interviewee, CEO of Turn2Me

Fiona O’Malley, CEO, Turn2Me

Technology is at the core of what you do. Can you tell us more about how tech solutions can drive social impact?

We know that peer support, awareness and timely access to help and information play a crucial part in mental health. Turn2me is one of the first online mental health services in the world and a great example of how investments in technology can help people feel more connected and heard.

We have invested in a custom-built platform where our users can book one-to-one counseling and support groups, but also share their thoughts and experiences 24/7 in a moderated, safe community. The Thought Catcher is an online mood diary popular with younger generations – users can select their mood, share feelings anonymously, track mood changes and receive supportive, uplifting messages. Our trained staff moderates the community and points users to resources and services.

Last but not least, we also use Ad Grants to run ads on Google Search at no cost and reach a wider audience – our sign-ups are dependent on word of mouth and online reach, and about 60% of our new website users come through ads.

A team of only six people runs Turn2Me. How do you manage?

Again technology, which helps us run things smoothly and efficiently. We’ve been part of Google for Nonprofits for years, which has given us access to Google Workspace for Nonprofits, improving operations and collaboration. For example, we use Docs to update our policies and share minutes of Board meetings and Meet to regularly keep in touch with other mental health nonprofits and find synergies.

Not having to pay for Ad Grants or Google Workspace means that resources can be reinvested in our programs, which helps us support between 30 and 100 more people every year.

We’re also incredibly lucky to have many wonderful volunteers along with our Board, which includes Oisin and Diarmuid Scollard, our founders. Like many families in Ireland, they know first-hand the importance of adequate mental health services and are passionate about driving change.

As a CEO, what would be your best advice to someone who’s just getting started in the nonprofit space?

I believe vision matters. Our belief in our cause combined with the immense support of the many people who help us are what help us thrive. With a bold vision, you can achieve so much.

How Google is supporting intersectional Latino communities

Image: Hacienda Auroraby Francisco Oller, collection of the Museo de Arte de Ponce on Google Arts & Culture

My family is of Salvadoran and Mexican descent — with the Indigenous, Afro-Latino and European roots that come with that lineage. One thing that they ingrained in me all my life was the importance of our culture and values. As I got older, these lessons helped me as I came into my truth, including when I came out as queer. I can’t disentangle all these parts of my identity — nor would I want to — and I’ve been lucky enough to have a supportive queer Latinx community around me along the way.

Everyone should have access to these supportive spaces, where they can see themselves and find a sense of self-acceptance and belonging. That’s why Google’s continued commitment to creating these spaces for diverse communities matters so much. I’m glad to see my team at Google.org supporting the culture, history and diversity of Latinos across the U.S., and using our platforms to make sure people can get connected to more resources. Here are a few ways we’re doing so this Hispanic Heritage Month.

Strengthening Latino LGBTQ+ and Indigeneous communities

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to shine a light on our cultural contributions and histories, but it’s also a time to reflect on the challenges we still face. For some within our community, intersecting marginalized identities mean that they are disproportionately affected by discrimination and barriers compared to the broader community as a whole. For Indigenous communities, that can mean the erasure of first languages, lack of access to healthcare or inequities in education. For LGBTQ+ people it can result in lower levels of business support and discrimination for queer business owners.

Google.org is proud to support organizations that are tackling these issues head on. We’re providing a total of $500,000 in Google.org grants to three organizations who are focused on intersectionality in the Latino community:

Continuing our support for Latino culture and cultural institutions

Inclusive spaces can be virtual, too, like the Latino Cultures in the U.S. project on Google Arts & Culture, which we first launched in 2017. The project has grown every year since, and now features more than 60 institutions and over 150 stories. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we added the largest online collection of Puerto Rican arts, with over 900 artworks digitized in high-resolution, thanks to a partnership with Lin-Manuel and Luis Miranda. And to further celebrate Latino culture in the U.S., Google.org has made a $1 million grant to the National Museum of the American Latino, a new museum joining the Smithsonian Institution network in Washington D.C. Latino communities are an integral part of America, and this museum will showcase our contributions for generations to come.

  • Escena del Rio by Manuel E. Jordán, collection of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña on Google Arts & Culture. A painting of a river surrounded by palm trees and puffy white clouds. Two people wade in the water and a sailboat floats in the middle of the scene.

    Escena del Rio by Manuel E. Jordán, collection of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña on Google Arts & Culture

  • Goyita by Rafael Tufiño, collection of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña on Google Arts & Culture. A portrait of a person wearing a head wrap.

    Goyita by Rafael Tufiño, collection of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña on Google Arts & Culture

  • House Interior II by Analida Burgos, collection of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico on Google Arts & Culture. A painting of a stylized house surrounded by an orange border.

    House Interior II by Analida Burgos, collection of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico on Google Arts & Culture

Using our platform to connect Latinos to critical resources

Over the past year, Google.org has also supported a number of Hispanic and Latino nonprofits with more than $500,000 in donated Google Search advertising — helping them reach a broader audience and share vital resources. This includes:

  • UnidosUS, the largest Latino advocacy organization in the U.S., which has used Search Ads to amplify culturally-relevant COVID-19 information since the start of the pandemic
  • Hispanic Access Foundation, which is using donated advertising to recruit young leaders of color for internship opportunities with organizations like the U.S. National Park Service

When we support those in the margins, we elevate our entire society. I’m proud of the work Google is doing to support Hispanic and Latino communities, especially for those at the intersections. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to all of the people who make our communities vibrant and beautiful simply by existing.

A Google Ads expert uses her skills to support nonprofits

Lauriane Giuranna is a Google Ads specialist, working with advertisers to make the best out of Google’s digital marketing tools. When she had the chance to use her skills to help gender equity nonprofits boost their visibility online, she immediately raised her hand. As part of a Google’s rotation program (an opportunity for employees to take a temporary role within a different team), Lauriane worked full-time for three months providing digital marketing support to select nonprofits. We chatted with her to hear more about the experience.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself.

In September 2019 — just after college — I joined Google in Dublin, Ireland as a Google Ads Specialist for the French Market. Outside of work, social impact has always been close to my heart. Before moving to Ireland I was volunteering to provide services to homeless and underserved communities in my hometown, Paris.

How have you used your role at Google to continue focusing on social impact?

One of the reasons I joined Google was its intrinsic commitment to social impact. Still, it surprised me to see the amount of opportunities I had to get involved in side projects that mattered to me and to have managers encouraging me to take them on. When the pandemic hit and domestic abuse reached new heights, I started supporting a French nonprofit that assists gender-based violence victims with their Google Ad Grants account, a program that donates ads on Google Search to eligible nonprofits.

Lauriane, the interviewee, sitting on a swing and holding the swing ropes with two hands

Lauriane at the Google office in Dublin

Tell us more about the 3-month rotation and why it was focused on gender equity.

Gender equity is a matter of human rights and global prosperity and over time, we’ve seen a growing interest in the topic on Google Search. Last year, Google.org announced the 34 recipients of the $25 million Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls. Google realized the need to help gender equality organizations promote online content and boost their visibility to help people in need find trusted information. Google.org worked with a few select Impact Challenge recipients to provide additional support on Google Ad Grants.

What was your day-to-day work like during the rotation?

I focused on 10 women and girls organizations. I set up campaigns and looked into metrics to improve and optimize performances. I also hosted office hours and delivered more than 15 hours of product training for 20 nonprofits professionals to use Google Ad Grants. I wanted to make sure the nonprofits could continue to use the product successfully.

Can you share an example?

I worked with Girls Inc. of NYC, an Impact Challenge recipient on a mission to deliver life transforming programs so that girls and women can thrive. When I first met with Lily Chang, chief development officer, we defined the marketing plan and set some measurable goals, like increasing newsletter sign-ups. Girls Inc. of NYC had never used Ad Grants before and leveraged our Google technical team to implement conversion tracking. We then built and tested several campaigns to reach more supporters across the U.S. The impact is tangible — the website traffic has doubled and almost 20% of newsletter sign-ups and 9% of donations now come after a click on an ad.

You accomplished a lot in three months! What was the personal impact on you?

I developed skills that gave me a good steer on my career growth. I would love to continue working with nonprofits and I now feel much more prepared.

To learn more about Google’s product giving and Google.org, visit google.com/nonprofits and google.org.

Meeting global mental health needs, with technology’s help

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 1 billion people are living with a mental disorder, worldwide. During the global pandemic, the world saw a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression. There was even a corresponding spike in searches on Google for mental health resources — which is a trend that continues to climb each year. To help people connect with timely, life-saving information and resources and to empower them to take action on their mental health needs, teams of Googlers are working — inside and outside of the company — to make sure everyone has access to mental health support.

Connecting people to resources on Search and YouTube

Before we can connect people to timely information and resources, we need to understand their intent when they turn to Search. Earlier this year, we shared our goal to automatically and more accurately detect personal crisis searches on Google Search, with the help of AI. This week, we’re rolling out this capability across the globe. This change enables us to better understand if someone is in crisis, then present them with reliable, actionable information. Over the coming months, we’ll work with partners to identify national suicide hotlines and make these resources accessible in dozens more languages.

Beyond the immediate needs related to mental health crises, people want information along their mental health journey no matter what it looks like — including content that can help them connect with others with similar experiences. To better support these needs, YouTube recently launched its Personal Stories feature, which surfaces content from creators who share personal experiences and stories about health topics, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, bipolar disease, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This feature is currently available in the U.S., with plans to expand it to more regions and to cover more health issues.

Scaling an LGBTQ+ helpline to support teens around the world

Mental health challenges are particularly prevalent in the LGBTQ+ youth community, with 45% of LGBTQ+ youth reporting that they have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Since 2019, Google.org has given $2.7 million to support the work of The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ+ young people. With the help of a technical team of Google.org Fellows, The Trevor Project built an AI system that could identify and prioritize high-risk contacts while simultaneously reaching more LGBTQ+ young people in crisis.

Today, we’re granting $2 million to The Trevor Project to help them to scale their digital crisis services to more countries, starting with Mexico. With this funding, they will continue to build and optimize a platform to help them more quickly scale their life-affirming services globally. In addition, we’ll provide volunteer support from Google’s AI experts and $500,000 in donated Search advertising to help connect young people to these valuable resources. The Trevor Project hopes that this project will help them reach more than 40 million LGBTQ+ young people worldwide who seriously consider suicide each year.

Using AI-powered tools to provide mental health support for the veteran community

That’s not the only way The Trevor Project has tapped AI to help support their mission. Last year, with the help of Google.org Fellows, they built a Crisis Contact Simulator that has helped them train thousands of counselors. Thanks to this tool, they can increase the capacity of their highly trained crisis counselors while decreasing the human effort required for training.

Now we’re supporting ReflexAI, an organization focused on building AI-powered public safety and crisis intervention tools, to develop a similar crisis simulation technology for the veteran community. The Department of Veteran Affairs reports that more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year. ReflexAI will receive a team of Google.org Fellows working full-time pro bono to help the organization build a training and simulation tool for veterans so they can better support each other and encourage their peers to seek additional support when needed.

Perhaps the most potent element of all, in an effective crisis service system, is relationships. To be human. To be compassionate. We know from experience that immediate access to help, hope and healing saves lives. SAMHSA
(Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Admin.)

When it comes to mental health, the most important path forward is connection. AI and other technologies can provide timely, life-saving resources, but the goal of all these projects is to connect people to people.

Note: Source for SAMSA quote

Adelante: Progress for Latino communities across the U.S.

Ver abajo versión en español

I grew up in Argentina and came to this country 20 years ago. Like many fellow Latinos, I was looking for better opportunities — in pursuit of my American dream — while holding on to and sharing my culture, language and identity. It’s the reason why my daughter's first language was Spanish, and why I still drink mate and enjoy empanadas salteñas whenever I can. I think that’s what Hispanic Heritage Month is all about: honoring our culture, celebrating our contributions and thinking about our future.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, I am proud to share that Google has been hard at work for the past year to open new paths for future generations of Latinos. In 2021, we made a $15 million commitment to economic equity for Latinos. Today, we are providing an update on our work.

Earlier this summer, we announced the first 50 recipients of the Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund at the UNIDOSUS National Conference. Each of the recipients received $100,000 in non-dilutive funding and $100,000 in Google Cloud credits to help their startups grow. The founders are now working hand-in-hand with Googlers, getting deep mentorship from technical and business experts, and building community with fellow founders.

Over the last two years, through Google.org grantees like the Hispanic Federation and Grow with Google partners like the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), we’ve provided digital skills to more than 35,000 Latinos across the U.S. and Puerto Rico for the growing number of jobs that require them. According to the Hispanic Federation, those that received digital skills training through their programs are seeing an average salary increase of $13,000 — that is real, meaningful change. As part of our commitment and ongoing partnership with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we are hosting the Grow with Google Latino-Owned Business Summit live from their national conference in Phoenix, which will also be live streamed on YouTube.

We are proud of our progress and the impact of our commitments as we continue to execute against them. We are deeply committed to continue this work, engaging, investing and honoring the Latino community during this Hispanic Heritage Month and all year long. Stay tuned for more to come.

Adelante: Progreso para las comunidades Latinas en los Estados Unidos

Crecí en Argentina y vine a este país hace 20 años. Al igual que muchos otros Latinos, estaba buscando mejores oportunidades - en la búsqueda de mi sueño americano - mientras mantenía y compartía mi cultura, idioma e identidad. Es la razón por la cual el idioma materno de mi hija fue el español, y por eso todavía tomo mate y disfruto de las empanadas salteñas siempre que puedo. Creo que de eso se trata el Mes de la Herencia Hispana: rendirle homenaje a nuestra cultura, celebrar nuestras contribuciones y pensar en nuestro futuro.

Este Mes de la Herencia Hispana, me enorgullece compartir que Google ha trabajado arduamente durante el último año para abrirle nuevos caminos a las futuras generaciones de Latinos. En 2021, hicimos un compromiso de $15 millones para la equidad económica de los Latinos. Hoy, estamos proporcionando una actualización de nuestro trabajo.

A principios de este verano, anunciamos los primeros 50 beneficiarios del Fondo de Fundadores Latinos de Google para Startups en la Conferencia Nacional UNIDOSUS. Cada uno de los destinatarios recibió $100,000 en financiamiento no dilutivo y $100,000 en créditos de Google Cloud para apoyar el crecimiento de sus startups. Los fundadores ahora trabajan mano a mano con los Googlers, obteniendo una tutoría profunda de expertos técnicos y comerciales y desarrollo comunitario con otros fundadores.

En los últimos dos años, a través de los beneficiarios de Google.org como la organización Hispanic Federation y los socios de Grow with Google como la Asociación Hispana de Colegios y Universidades (HACU), hemos brindado habilidades digitales a más de 35,000 Latinos en los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico para el creciente número de trabajos que las requieren.Según la organización Hispanic Federation, aquellos que recibieron capacitación digital por medio de sus programas están experimentando un aumento salarial de $13,000; ese es un cambio real y significativo. Como parte de nuestro compromiso y asociación continua con la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Estados Unidos, estamos organizando la cumbre de empresas de propiedad Latina, Grow with Google Latino-Owned Business Summit, en vivo desde su conferencia nacional en Phoenix, que también se transmitirá en vivo en YouTube.

Estamos orgullosos de nuestro progreso y del impacto de nuestros compromisos a medida que continuamos ejecutandolos. Estamos profundamente comprometidos a continuar con este trabajo, motivando, invirtiendo y honrando a la comunidad Latina durante este Mes de la Herencia Hispana y durante todo el año. ¡Estén atentos qué hay más por venir.

Our commitment on using AI to accelerate progress on global development goals

I joined Google earlier this year to lead a new function: Technology & Society. Our aim is to help connect research, people and ideas across Google to shape the future of our technology innovations and their impact on society for the better. A key area of focus is AI, a field I have studied and immersed myself in over the years. I recently met with a team at the Google AI Center in Ghana that is using advanced technology to address an ancient problem: detecting locust outbreaks which threaten food security and livelihoods for millions of people. And in India and Bangladesh, our Crisis Response teams are using our machine-learning-based forecasting to provide over 360 million people with alerts about upcoming floods.

Efforts like these make me optimistic about how AI can contribute to solving societal problems. They also reinforce how high the stakes are for people everywhere, especially as global forces threaten the progress we’ve made on health, prosperity and environmental issues.

AI for the Global Goals

As the United Nations General Assembly begins, the world will come together to discuss issues of global importance, including assessing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which provide a roadmap on economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. While it’s clear the global community has made significant strides in meeting the 17 interlinked goals since their adoption by 193 countries, challenges persist in every country. Currently, no country is on track to meet all the goals by 2030.

From the launch of the SDGs in 2015, Google has believed in their importance and looked for ways to support progress. We know that advanced technology, such as AI, can be a powerful tool in advancing these goals. Research that I co-led before joining Google found AI could contribute to progress on all the SDGs — a finding confirmed by the UN. In 2018 Google launched AI for Social Good, focusing applied research and grantmaking efforts on some of the most intractable issues. But we know more needs to be done.

So today we’re expanding our efforts with AI for the Global Goals, which will bring together research, technology and funding to accelerate progress on the SDGs. This commitment will include $25 million to support NGOs and social enterprises working with AI to accelerate progress towards these goals. Based on what we’ve learned so far, we believe that with the AI capabilities and financial support we will provide, grantees can cut in half the time or cost to achieve their goals. In addition to funding, where appropriate, we’ll provide Google.org Fellowships, where teams of Google employees work alongside organizations for up to six months. Importantly, projects will be open-sourced so other organizations can build on the work. All of Google’s work and contributions will be guided by our Responsible AI Principles.

Since 2018, we’ve been focusing applied research and grantmaking efforts on some of the most intractable issues with over 50 organizations in countries ranging from Japan to Kenya to Brazil. We’ve supported organizations making progress on emissions monitoring, antimicrobial image analysis and mental health for LGBTQ+ youth. Working side-by-side with these organizations has shown us the creative ways a thriving ecosystem of companies, nonprofits and universities can use AI. We think we can use the same model to help countries make progress on the SDGs.

A critical time for global progress

COVID-19, global conflict, and climate change have set us back. Fewer people have the opportunity to move out of poverty, inequitable access to healthcare and education continues, gender inequality persists, and environmental threats pose immediate and long-term risks. We know that AI and other advanced technology can help tackle these setbacks. For example, in a significant development for biology and human health, DeepMind used AI to predict 200 million protein structures. They open-sourced the structures in partnership with EMBL-EBI, giving over 500,000 biologists tools to accelerate work on drug discovery, treatment and therapies — thereby making it possible to tackle many of the world’s neglected diseases.

As someone who has spent the last several decades working at the nexus of technology and societal good, it matters deeply that progress here will benefit communities everywhere. No single organization alone will develop and deploy all the solutions we’ll need; we all need to do our part. We’re looking forward to continuing to partner with experts around the world and learning what we can accomplish together.

What Google’s grant means for The Hidden Genius Project

Editor’s note:Today’s post is authored by Brandon Nicholson, PhD, an Oakland, California native and the founding Executive Director of The Hidden Genius Project, a Google.org grantee. Brandon has dedicated his life to promoting equity in the public realm, particularly in the education space.

The mission of The Hidden Genius Project is to train and mentor Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities. Our vision is to be a global leader in this work and an incubator of dynamic young technologists (who we call Geniuses). Through our comprehensive support model, starting with our 15-month Intensive Immersion Program, The Hidden Genius Project works to bolster both workforce development as well as youth-driven leadership, resulting in stronger economies and more equitable communities.

Today, The Hidden Genius Project received a $3 million Google.org grant to expand our program to two additional cities and reveal hundreds of more Geniuses. This will afford us the resources to join arms with a broader array of communities to support and elevate the potential of our Black boys and young men.

We first connected with Google.org in 2015, when we were a finalist for the Google.org Bay Area Impact Challenge. I thought it was a long shot, but taking the risk of applying has opened up many pathways for us. After we found out we received funding, we partnered with TEAM Inc. to create the Tech Slam series, a program that introduces youth to the intersection of sports and technology. We have since hosted a dozen Tech Slam events across three continents.

Fast forward seven years and nearly 8,500 young people served globally, the impact of our work became clear when some of our Genius alumni recently visited Google’s Bay Area campus. These young men first visited Google as high school students, where they were closely coached through the experience. This time, they were confident, rising entrepreneurs capable of commanding a room.

A group of about 30 people stand smiling at the camera in front of a gray wall.

Alumni and staff from The Hidden Genius Project met with Googlers during a recent event.

Young men like Sir McMillan (from our inaugural Los Angeles cohort) pitched their business ideas to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Sir bounced marketing ideas for his business off Google CMO Lorraine Twohill, and he and his Genius brothers shared their thoughts on Android OS with Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President of Platforms & Ecosystems. The experience signaled the richness of our progress over the past decade. We’re so excited to see where we go next.

Our alumni will continue to drive our organization forward — not only through their accomplishments, but also through their direct contributions as educators, mentors and ambassadors. For example, our alumni have served as the primary content facilitators for all our Tech Slam events, regularly inspiring others around the world, including each other. Kyron Loggins (from our fourth Oakland, California cohort) shares, “From student to alumni to employee, it’s just great to be able to experience this growing and scaling because it’s such a positive thing for the community of Black people everywhere.”

Looking ahead, and as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we now have the opportunity to expand to new communities. And we are fortunate to be able to lean on a wide range of supporters — including our alumni and funders — to ensure our success.

Bringing computer science education to 11 million students

Earlier this summer, I had the chance to meet alumni of The Hidden Genius Project, an Oakland-based international nonprofit that provides Black male youth with training and mentoring in technology, entrepreneurship and leadership. Many of these graduates had no formal computer science education in their curriculum before joining the organization. Thanks to the technical and coding skills they learned through The Hidden Genius Project, they are now using technology to build their own businesses. One graduate, James, learned how to wire frame, which he’s using to launch an app-based shoe restoration business. Another graduate, Jeremiah, is using the digital skills he learned to increase his company’s online presence and reach more customers for his cleaning services company.

For these young men and for so many other students, computer science (CS) education is providing a foundation in the skills they’ll need for their future careers. Yet there remain deep opportunity gaps in education that prevent everyone from accessing those skills equally.

At Google, we believe educational opportunities should be available regardless of socioeconomic status, background, race or geography. So today, we’re building on our long-time support for nonprofits with an additional $20 million commitment to expand CS education access to more than 11 million students across the U.S. — including more support for The Hidden Genius Project. This brings our total commitment to CS education to more than $240 million since 2004.

Student Ian stands behind a desk operating a laptop to demonstrate his platform for Sundar, who is standing to the right of the desk. Both are smiling. A screen in the background shows the Google.org and The Hidden Genius Project logos.

Sundar talks with The Hidden Genius Project alum Ian Bundy-Weiss during the program’s visit to Mountain View in June 2022. Ian founded My Drip, a platform for fashion designers.

We’ll focus our efforts on supporting national and local organizations who reach underserved students in major urban centers and rural communities, and who help governments and educators implement CS education plans nationwide.

In addition to The Hidden Genius Project, we’ll provide support for local nonprofits across the country, with a focus on Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. We’re looking forward to helping advance programs like the Computing Integrated Teacher Education project at the City University of New York, to incorporate CS education into the curriculum for new teachers, and supporting CodePath in Chicago and Atlanta, to help students from underrepresented communities work towards tech-based careers.

Sundar and 4-H President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo stand to the left of a whiteboard watching a student in a blue top reaching up to complete a coding activity. Two other students in white look on from the right of the whiteboard.

Sundar Pichai and 4-H President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo join students in a coding activity at a 4-H computer science education event in Mayes County, Oklahoma, in 2019.

To widen access to CS education for students in rural and under-resourced communities, we’re extending our commitment to4-H. With our support, since 2019, 4-H has introduced1.4 million students to CS education pathways, 65% of them in rural communities. The new grant we're providing will support 4-Hers throughCooperative Extension's programs and resources, helping 6 million young people and more than 3,500 educators.

Finally, we’ll provide funding to the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, a national network coordinated by the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, which aims to increase participation in CS education through state-level reforms. This funding will enable ECEP to partner with policymakers, educators and others on systemic changes that will help more students from a wider range of backgrounds pursue computing-related degrees. It will also support the addition of five new states to the ECEP Alliance, laying the foundation for a national framework.

Today’s announcement is part of our Grow with Google initiative and includes funding from Google.org. It builds on a lot of other good work underway. Earlier this year, Google partnered with the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture to train 2,000 teachers on digital skills, enabling them to reach 200,000 rural students by the end of the 2023 school year. And this summer, I joined other CEOs to send a message in support of making computer science a basic part of every K-12 classroom.

Of course, access to computing skills and digital knowledge is important for adults, too. More than 9 million people in the U.S. have already learned new skills through Grow with Google — including Google Career Certificates, which prepare people for jobs in growing fields. We’re building new financing models to extend these programs to more people and drive wage gains for workers. And we’ll continue to partner with organizations to provide local training opportunities, especially in marginalized communities.

We believe Google and other companies have a responsibility to help people get the skills they need to get a good job, start a new business, and provide a solid foundation for their families — no matter what their age or where they live. Computer science education is an important piece of this, and we look forward to working with our partners to unleash the talent and drive of millions of people in communities across the U.S.

Three years in: Our $1 billion Bay Area housing effort

The Bay Area is our home, and we’re helping our hometown communities solve challenging problems. In 2019, we committed $1 billion to help increase the Bay Area’s housing supply and support organizations on the front lines of homelessness. Over the last three years, we’ve been making investments and allocating land to help developers create new affordable housing units in all corners of the region.

A map illustration of the Bay Area with 23 red markers that indicate the location of affordable housing projects that Google has committed money to from our $250 million investment affordable housing fund.

A map of our current commitments from our $250 million affordable housing investment fund.

Investing $1 billion across the Bay Area

So far, we’ve allocated a total of $128 million of our $250 million investment fund to 18 organizations, which has supported the development of 23 affordable housing projects across the Bay Area.

A rendering of a multi-story residential complex painted light brown and yellow.

A rendering of Meridian, a 90-unit affordable housing development, in Sunnyvale, California. Image credit: Steinberg Hart.

As part of our commitment to give $750 million worth of our land to housing development, we’ve worked closely with elected officials and residents to propose plans where residential units, offices, retail spaces and open space will coexist on our land. The San José City Council unanimously approved our Downtown West project in May 2021, which calls for 4,000 housing units. In addition, we’ve submitted plans for mixed-use developments in Mountain View and are working with city staff to have Middlefield Park voted on by Mountain View City Council by the end of 2022, followed by North Bayshore in 2023. Together, these plans consider a total of 8,900 housing units, which would be developed by a partner.

While we’ve made progress across the Bay Area through funding and land allocation, we know that's only part of the solution. Fighting the housing crisis requires innovation and collaboration across the community. So today, we’re also sharing how we’re using philanthropy to test new methods of intervention with trusted nonprofit leaders.

Using philanthropy to test innovative solutions

Over the next three years, we’re giving more than $10 million of our 2019 $50 million Google.org grant commitment and providing pro bono support to select Bay Area nonprofits. These organizations are starting programs to test the impact of cash transfers on housing stability for community members experiencing homelessness. With cash transfers, money is directly provided to people to spend on things like rent, medical expenses, food, or other day-to-day expenses. Our funding will go toward direct cash support, infrastructure for the nonprofits and randomized impact evaluation. This way, critical research can be used to have a systemic effect to assist in providing stable housing.

Google.org has been a longtime supporter of cash transfers, having distributed over $31 million globally, and providing over 235,000 households with cash support to improve their financial resilience and weather economic uncertainty. Research has shown that giving recipients the ability to decide how they spend their money leads to increases in economic and psychological well-being, physical health and household purchasing power. A randomized evaluation in Canada found a one-time cash transfer to individuals experiencing homelessness leads to quicker housing stability and spending fewer days unsheltered.

There is little to no research, however, of the effect of cash transfers on a demographic like Bay Area homeless communities. To better understand the impact, Google.org is supporting the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) in partnering with several leading homeless service providers in the Bay Area. Through the Bay Area Evaluation (BAE) Incubator, providers are building their capacity to design and implement randomized evaluations of cash transfer programs.

In addition to J-PAL North America’s effort, Google.org is supporting some emerging cash transfer pilots:

  • Bay Area Community Services (BACS), alongside UCSF, is running a longitudinal study aimed at determining the effect of cash assistance for 100 Oakland households on housing stability and homelessness prevention while also measuring potential reduction of racial disparities in those who become homeless.
  • Chapin Hall, in partnership with Point Source Youth and Larkin Street Youth Services, will be launching community engagement work to prepare for a Bay Area expansion of a national effort. Their program tests the effectiveness of direct cash transfers and support programs on housing stability and well-being for young adults facing housing insecurity.
  • Miracle Messages, in partnership with the University of Southern California, will conduct a randomized controlled trial for people experiencing homelessness. The trial adds cash assistance to social support programming to measure multiple outcomes including housing stability, food security and mental health.

As we provide funding, we’re evaluating impact to determine the most effective cash transfer delivery models and programs for reducing homelessness. It’s our hope these grants will not only help individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity, but also expand the evidence base around the effectiveness of cash transfer programs, particularly in high-income communities like the Bay Area.

With this $10 million in grant funding, we’ve granted a total of $18 million of our 2019 Google.org commitment to Bay Area nonprofits providing services like food distribution, job training and case management. Through these grants, these organizations will help provide services to more than 90,000 people and house 10,000 individuals over the span of four years. It’s a testament to the impact philanthropy can have on the housing crisis.

Looking ahead

We can’t celebrate the last three years of work without recognizing the work that lies ahead. There is still a severe housing shortage of more than 400,000 in the Bay Area, and we’ll continue to work with housing experts, developers, nonprofit leaders and elected officials to find opportunities to build units and provide services to people as quickly as possible.

Learn more about our housing commitment at g.co/housingcommitment.

Source: The Keyword