Google is donating $250,000 to partners in the Flint, Mich., community to support technical solutions for understanding and, ultimately, resolving the water crisis that has afflicted the city for two years.
The tech giant is giving a $150,000 grant to the University of Michigan-Flint to help develop a data platform to assist government and community leaders in making informed decisions and providing information to citizens. Student researchers will help develop the platform which seeks to provide insight on questions about the crisis and the response.
Additionally, the research teams plan to develop a consumer-facing platform and app that visualizes the data and provides critical information and services to citizens, including how to report water concerns and request testing kits.
Google volunteers will assist with technology and product design.
Google is also donating $100,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint for the Flint Child Health & Development Fund. The fund is a supplemental resource to state and federal funding to provide childcare-related services, including early childhood education, student support services, access to a pediatric medical home and more. It was founded to support the long-term health of children, who are the most vulnerable to potential developmental issues stemming from the lead poisoning in the water.
"With Google offices in Ann Arbor and Birmingham, Flint and its residents are also our neighbors," reads a Google statement from Mike Miller, head of Google Michigan. "We hope we can support a resolution to this crisis and assist the residents of Flint in getting the resources they need and deserve, both for the short and long term."
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