Google Offers Outreach

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Google (NASDAQ: GOOG - News) today announced the launch of Google Earth Outreach, a new program designed to help nonprofit organizations around the world leverage the power of Google Earth to illustrate and advocate for the important work that they do.

The announcement was made at Google's New York City office by Elliot Schrage, Google Vice President for Global Communications & Public Affairs, and John Hanke, Director of Google Earth & Maps. Pilot Outreach partners including Jane Goodall, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute; Kathy Bushkin Calvin, Executive Vice President, United Nations Foundation; and Edward Wilson, President and CEO, Earthwatch, were also on hand to discuss how their organizations are using Google Earth to tell effective and compelling stories about their work. Google Earth Outreach enables any organization to quickly and easily get the resources it needs to create compelling stories through Google Earth layers. The program includes comprehensive online guides, video tutorials, and case studies about using Google Earth specifically targeted to the needs of nonprofit organizations. In addition, there are online forums connecting new participants to Global Awareness partners and experienced programmers who can assist in developing Keyhole Markup Language (KML) layers for Google Earth. These forums, actively moderated by Google Earth Outreach staff, serve to foster discussion and cooperation among organizations and the broader Google Earth community.

Organizations can also now apply online for Google Earth Pro grants (a $400 value); grantees will receive additional technical support from Google. Participating organizations may be highlighted in the Google Earth Outreach Showcase, an online gallery of the most compelling new layers, and a subset of those will be featured in the Global Awareness folder in Google Earth on a rotating basis. More details about Google Earth Outreach are available at http://earth.google.com/outreach.

"Google's mission is all about making information more accessible and useful," said Elliot Schrage, Google Vice President of Global Communications & Public Affairs. "With programs like Google Earth Outreach, we seek to help create a 'marketplace of ideas' in the growing not-for-profit sector that rivals and complements what we offer commercial enterprises. In a very practical way, Google Earth Outreach demonstrates that technology can inspire action by bringing seemingly distant problems closer to home."

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