Google recently opened up a grant program making Chromebooks available to teachers for the reduced price of $99. (These Samsung Chromebooks originally sold for $449.) Teachers were required to select their devices and prepare a grant proposal for funding.  Once selected, the proposal becomes available for public donation/funding.  Google selected the organization donorschoose.org to administer the grant selection and funding process. As an added incentive, donations within the first seven days are doubled, so these projects become very affordable and make a huge impact within the classrooms. So early donations are actually purchasing a Chromebook for $50 for our students to use. In order to get matching funds you need to use the code INSPIRE.

Norris School District teachers were successful in having seven projects selected.  These projects are now available for pubic donations.  Once enough donations are received for a project, that project is then funded and becomes a reality for the teacher and students.  These donations are drastically subsidized by corporations as well as the donorschoose.org foundation.  Donations are tax deducible and can be placed by a variety of means including credit card.

For more information visit Norris Technology Coordinator, Noel Erskine's Blog