September 09, 2021
RENO,
Nev. — Google is
providing 10,000 Certified Educator Level 1 vouchers at no cost across the State. Through
support for the Nevada Department of Education, the certifications will be offered to teachers
who want to grow and demonstrate their proficiency in Google Workspace tools
for classroom teaching.
The program
consists of a Fundamentals Course and a Level 1 Academy to help educators learn
valuable technology skills useful in both hybrid and virtual environments. Once
achieved, the certification is valid for three years.
“Our goal
is to provide educators with opportunities to develop the digital skills they
need in any tech-driven classroom,” said Kate Franko, Google’s Regional Head of
Data Center Public Affairs. “We hope this training will make their work easier,
even more impactful, and create ripple effects across Nevada that benefit both
teachers and students."
The program
is available to many groups of educators working with Nevada’s students
including: licensed Nevada teachers and Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL)
teachers, teacher preparation faculty at Nevada universities and ARL programs, contracted
educational technology specialist computer teachers, pre-service teachers
accepted to a Nevada teacher preparation program, school librarians and media
specialists.
“Nevada’s
educators are the key to fostering students who are globally prepared and
future-ready,” said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “As
the technology of our world continues to rapidly evolve, it is critical to build
our educators’ capacity to support our students and I thank Google for providing
this opportunity.”
Applications
to join the initial cohort of 2,500 educators to receive training this year in
the Level 1 Certification are open starting today online. The remaining 7,500 certification vouchers
will be available in 2022 and beyond. In addition to training teachers, a
cohort of educators already achieved Google Certified Trainer status. These
newly Certified Trainers will be able to assist with the monumental undertaking
of certifying up to 10,000 educators in the Level 1 program in the future.
“The
educators who will take this Level 1 course, and those who have already become
trainers, are extremely dedicated individuals who will develop their skills to
benefit themselves, their students, and their peers,” says Amy Mayer, CEO and
Founder of friEdTechnology, the Google for Education Professional Development
partner delivering the training. “This dedication combined with
newly-minted tech skills will support their efficiency and effectiveness in the
classroom.”
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About
Google in Nevada
In July
2019, Google broke ground on its first $600 million data center in Henderson,
Nevada, with a second $600 million expansion following in 2020. In 2020 Google
also announced a new $600 million investment in Storey County, bringing its
total investment in Nevada to $1.8 billion. Once fully operational, all sites
will employ many people in a variety of fields including computer technicians,
engineers, and various service, maintenance, and security roles.