CB BureauHP Inc. has announced education-focused partnerships to support students and schools impacted by Covid-19. Accordingly, HP and HP Foundation will donate nearly $8M in products and grants to support blending learning in local communities impacted by Covid-19 around the globe. The blended learning programmes include Print, Play & Learn, a free HP global resource for those who have transitioned to learning from home, as well as initiatives launched in India and China to deliver a combination of online and printed educational content that can support remote teaching and learning.
In India, HP has partnered with Gamooz Interactive Solutions to provide access to educational content, from worksheets to 2D augmented reality content supported by the Gamooz app, apparently to make learning more engaging and fun. HP and Gamooz will also create a community in which educators and students can jointly discuss educational content, problems and solutions.
According to HP, the new programmes underscore its corporate goal to enable better learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025 through global educational curricula, equipment donations, and on-demand learning tech.
In a press release shared with CB, Enrique Lores, HP president and CEO, said: ‘A student’s right to education should not be contingent on where they live or their family’s income. We must find creative new ways for teachers and students to connect from a distance – because while this pandemic is creating hardship for so many around the world right now, we cannot afford to let it hold back the generation that will shape our future. Whether we’re helping to fight Covid-19 or climate change, it’s in our collective interest to work together on shared solutions.’
As per the press release, HP Foundation has contributed $3M grants in total, with $1M going towards supporting affected communities with critical medical supplies. The Foundation is focused on devoting resources to support community response efforts over the coming weeks and months, and will be working with both global and local partners. It will also direct students to the free courses on HP LIFE, a free programme of the HP Foundation that offers 30+ course modules to support skills around entrepreneurship, marketing and business development, and match up to $4M this year in HP employee donations to any eligible charity. Additionally, HP has committed to distribute $5M in product donations supporting education, SMB, and healthcare entities in underprivileged and underserved communities around the world. Products include laptops, printers, displays and paper.
CB’s questions on activities that do not require a printer at home, how they intend to reach children from poor families, and if they are partnering with schools did not receive any response from the company.