Google Earth Outreach empowers everyone to create positive change in the world with Geo products and data. Their mission in education is to drive geospatial thinking as a fundamental learning and life skill for students and educators everywhere, inspiring the next generation of explorers.
Google Earth Outreach is a charity program, through which Google promotes and donates to various non-profit organizations. Beginning in 2007, donations are often accompanied by layers featured in Google Earth, allowing users to view a non-profit’s projects and goals by navigating to certain related locations.
Google Earth Outreach offers online training on using Google Earth and Google Maps for public education on issues affecting local regions or the entire globe. In June 2008, training was given to 20 indigenous tribes in the Amazon rainforest, such as the Suruí, to help them preserve their culture and raise awareness for the problem of deforestation.
People who create content for the public benefit sector can create KML files detailing their efforts to the Showcase Gallery, where content is posted in the categories of Global Development, Public Health, Environment and Science, Culture and Education, and Social Services. The program has been launched in nine countries: US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and Brazil.