Google Grant Funds 600 Laptop Computers For Pryor Students

Google has given Pryor Public Schools an $80,000 grant through its Charitable Giving Fund of the Tides Foundation to help with a new program that is designed to provide each student with a laptop.

In a news release, Google says this is the fourth grant awarded to the district, bringing the total amount awarded to $192,000.

This latest grant along with an $85,000 match from the school district supplied 600 Chromebook laptops to students.

Pryor school officials say the new laptops will provide access to the Internet and utilize digital tools to improve instruction to students in the 6th, 7th and 10th grades.

"This program represents a paradigm shift in learning for our students and teachers," Pryor School Superintendent Don Raleigh said. "We greatly appreciate Google for giving us the ability to make this huge step. We know it's best for our students, and it's the right thing to do."

Raleigh says students check out a laptop at the beginning of the school year and it stays with them until the end of the year.

"We are proud to have such an innovative and forward-thinking school district in our data center community," Mike Wooten, operations manager for Google's Pryor data center, said. "Pryor Schools continues to demonstrate its commitment to its students through technology access, and we are glad to be a part of it."

Google grants have also been awarded to launch Pryor's robotics program.