Iridescent Awarded $625,000 In New Grants To Expand AI Education Programs

GENEVA, May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Iridescent, the global technology education nonprofit, announced from the AI for Good Global Summit where it chaired the Education Track, that it was recently awarded $625,000 in new grants from the NVIDIA Foundation and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. The funds, which follow an additional $500,000 from Google.org, will help the nonprofit expand its AI education programming to reach more students and parents, bring on more mentors, partner with more communities, and develop additional curriculum.

"We are on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution, as AI transforms our world. The only way to ensure that this is a force of good is to introduce AI to everyone who has the desire to learn," said Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Iridescent. "The data shows that our programs help children become more confident, more engaged in school, and more likely to stick with STEM. Partnering with NVIDIA and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation will help us achieve our goal of inspiring more people to become lifelong learners."

Too few people have access to AI education and therefore don't see themselves as leaders and problem-solvers. Iridescent's AI Family Challenge program is a twelve-week global learning program that brings together families, schools, communities and industry mentors so participants can learn, create and play with AI. In its inaugural year, 7,500 people from 13 countries participated in the program, and Iridescent will use the new grants to expand what the curriculum covers to address new topics like ethics and to partner with even more communities, families and students. Additionally, Iridescent will grow its mentoring program, where employees from companies like NVIDIA and Google work directly with participating families.

"The NVIDIA and Iridescent partnership is a model for how nonprofits and corporations can successfully work together to inspire lifelong learning and address the AI skills gap," said Tonie Hansen, Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, NVIDIA. "Together, we are making AI education accessible to families everywhere, and providing an opportunity for professionals to grow their skill sets and perspective on the impact of their work on the world."

The grant from The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation will also support the expansion of the AI Family Challenge program through grassroots initiatives that help families, particularly in under-resourced communities, continue learning about AI, and leading change in their communities.

"The impact of the first AI Family Challenge was profound, revealing what's possible with after school programs," said Melinda Marble, Executive Director, at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. "Iridescent and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation are excited to extend their partnership to introduce more people to AI."

About Iridescent
Iridescent is a global technology education nonprofit organization that empowers underrepresented young people to become self-motivated learners, inventors, and leaders. Founded in 2006 by CEO Tara Chklovski, Iridescent has had more than 130,000 children, parents, mentors, and educators participate in its two global programs: Technovation, the world's largest tech entrepreneurship program for girls, and the AI Family Challenge, a learning program that brings together families, schools, communities and industry mentors to solve real-world problems as they learn and create with artificial intelligence. To learn more, visit iridescentlearning.org

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Puneet Sandhu
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Bateman Group for Iridescent

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