Diversity & Inclusion

CommonLit nabs $3.5 million grant from Google

The D.C.-based edtech nonprofit provides a free literacy platform to students.

Some text themes on the CommonLit platform. (Screenshot)

CommonLit, a D.C.-based nonprofit that provides a free online reading platform for students, just secured a $3.5 million grant from Google to help expand resources for teachers. The company made the announcement of the partnership on World Teachers’ Day.

Michelle Brown launched the edtech nonprofit launched in 2014 out of 1776 DC to help teachers promote literacy through a free online reading program for kids. CommonLit was a part of AT&T’s Aspire Accelerator in 2016 and since then, has also secured a $4 million grant from the Department of Education and another $4 million in funding from backers like AT&T, Teach for America, the EPIC FoundationArthur Rock Foundation and others.

This new partnership with Google.org is not only going to help CommonLit expand, Brown said, but its going to help the edtech company collaborate with local education organizations like UNETE to pilot a Spanish-language version of its platform throughout schools in Mexico. CommonLit has a goal to add 500 reading lessons in Spanish for students by June 2020, according to a press release.

Companies: 76 Forward / Google

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Trump may kill the CHIPS and Science Act. Here’s what that means for your community.

After nearly a decade, the federal program for immigrant entrepreneurs is finally working

Block the bots or feed them facts? How Technical.ly uses AI in journalism

This Week in Jobs: Sweeten your career with these 31 open tech roles

Technically Media