Equal Opportunity Schools

EOS is one of 1,000 community-based organizations Microsoft aims to help with a range of technology-focused grants and support

SEATTLE, WA, USA, December 16, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) today announced it is a recipient of Microsoft Corp.’s Nonprofit Tech Acceleration (NTA) program for Black and African American communities. The Seattle-based nonprofit is one of the organizations selected for support of its digital transformation initiatives. In partnership with more than 600 schools nationwide, EOS helps ensure that students of color and low-income students have equitable access to rigorous high school programming to be poised for success after graduation.

Launched this fall, Microsoft’s NTA program provides U.S. nonprofits that serve Black and African American communities with transformative technical solutions that will allow organizations to scale their work and increase the impact on communities they serve.

“Often, technology solutions are put forward that make systems more efficient. But making inequitable systems, such as education, more efficient is not a laudable goal. Our goal is to increase the effectiveness of the education field to serve students of color and low-income students,” said EOS’ Chief Executive Officer Byron V. Garrett. “Microsoft’s support will allow us to rapidly expand the potential of our portal technology to build equitable learning environments and opportunities for students across the country. With this upgraded technology infrastructure, we can ensure that students of color and their low-income peers are made visible in their schools and that their talent and genius is no longer overlooked.”

Under the grant, EOS will receive licenses for Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Business 365 Business Premium for its staff, consulting services, and a host of technological resources aimed at strengthening its data infrastructure. EOS is one of 1,000 community-based organizations Microsoft aims to help with a range of technology-focused grants and support.

In a November 2020 blog post, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the company’s commitment to finding new and more effective ways to combat racial injustice and inequity by focusing on four important areas of need: justice reform, skills that increase employability, access to broadband, and technology support for nonprofits supporting the Black and African American population.

Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact helps nonprofits fully utilize the power of technology to serve more beneficiaries, as many organizations typically find themselves with antiquated technology that does not fit their needs. With the NTA program, which is available for nonprofits of all sizes serving Black and African American communities, Microsoft commits to supporting those tackling society’s most pressing challenges.

EOS’ Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Sasha Rabkin said this program could position the organization to both obtain additional funding and gain new knowledge. “Building robust data architecture can be expensive and time consuming and isn’t often at the top of funders’ priorities. This investment in our data warehouse and capabilities will make reporting on outcomes and EOS’ impact, both for funders and district partners, more readily available. This will allow us to more quickly provide them with information and insights, and that will make use more likely to receive future funding and drive greater impact.”

“Our communities are where we live, work, study, play – so we need to devote the necessary resources to improving them,” said Microsoft’s NTA Program Manager Darrell Booker. “Our goal is to bring awareness to these nonprofits that technology should not be a barrier. It’s a necessity and it’s available and through embracing it, you can have the biggest impact possible.”

For More Information Contact:
TAG Media Group
Daniel Chartock | Daniel@TAGMediaGroup.com | 212.951.0501
Marilyn Lopez | Marilyn@TAGMediaGroup.com | 917.209.9514

About Equal Opportunity Schools (www.eoschools.org)
Equal Opportunity Schools is a national organization serving school districts of all sizes. We are here to help better serve students of color and low-income students and improve the accessibility of advanced learning classes. We provide tools such as a gap chart analysis, equity pathways reports, beginning and end-of-year student/administrator surveys, best practices from more than 650 schools in 210+ districts across 33 states, and support to make equity and improved access to rigorous courses a district priority. For more information, please visit www.eoschools.org.

###

Daniel Chartock
TAG Media Group
+1 212-951-0501
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.