Google Just Gave $1 Million USD to Chance The Rapper's Charity
And $500,000 USD to Chicago Public Schools.
Chance the Rapper continues to strengthen his charity organization SocialWorks. Following news of SocialWorks’ holiday partnership with Starbucks and Spotify, one of the biggest companies on the planet has decided to cut a check for the charity.
Taking to Chicago’s Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Paideia Academy to make the announcement, high-ranking Google executives have revealed their employer’s plan to donate $1 million USD to SocialWorks and give $500,000 USD to Chicago Public Schools’ CS4All Initiative, which pushes computer science education.
“We’re honored to support SocialWorks’ mission to help underrepresented students in Chicago reach their full potential, as well as Chicago Public Schools’ efforts to turn computer science into a pathway for creative expression,” shares Justin Steele, the Google.org Principal who handles the company’s work with local communities “There’s so much talent and creativity in the communities that these schools serve—and Chance The Rapper embodies what can happen when that creativity is unleashed. With exposure to computer science, students can use technology to turn their creative passions—whether that’s art, writing, music or something else—into something bigger.”
In an official press statement, SocialWorks Executive Director Justin Cunningham revealed that his charity’s partnership with Google will help young Chicagoans identify alternative roads to success. “While every student doesn’t need to become a computer scientist, understanding the basics empowers them to understand the world they live in. The opportunity to help kids code to share their music, artwork and distinct point of view is at the core of our mission and an experience we look forward to providing in classrooms across the city.” Cunningham added that he believes Chance the Rapper personifies what happens when “creative passions” lead to something larger and creativity is allowed to be “unleashed.”
Earlier this year, Chance and SocialWorks helped raise $2.2 million USD for Chicago’s public school system.
