Google Student Blog

Got questions about Google Scholarships? Get them answered via Hangouts On Air

2012-01-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you had a chance to tune in to Jeff Moore’s recent Hangouts On Air where he talked about a few of the posts from his Recruiter Tips & Tricks series. Next Thursday, January 26th at 8:30 am PST, Jeff is going to host another Hangout On Air. This time it will be a chance for you to ask questions about the guidelines, application process, and eligibility criteria for Google Scholarship opportunities in North America and EMEA. Jeff will be joined by members of the North America and EMEA University Programs teams who will help in answering your questions.

Here’s a breakdown of the current scholarships we’re offering and their application deadlines:

EMEA

Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities - Deadline: February 1st
Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship: Europe, Middle East and Africa - Deadline: February 1st

North America

Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities - Deadline: February 5, 2012
Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship - US Application; Canada Application - Deadline: February 6, 2012
Generation Google Scholarship - Deadline: February 20, 2012
Google AISES Scholarship - Deadline: February 29, 2012
Google Hispanic College Fund Scholarship - Deadline: March 1, 2012
Google UNCF Scholarship - US Application ; Canada Application - Deadline: March 18, 2012

Starting today, we encourage you to begin submitting your questions via Twitter or Google+ using the hashtag #scholarshipquestion. Between now and next Thursday we’ll collect a list of the questions that are sent in and answer them live during the Hangout On Air!

Posted by Jenny McColl, University Programs Specialist

Young Innovators @ Google - Laura Holmes

2012-01-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Today's post is a continuation with our Young Innovators @ Google series where we're highlighting the great work of Googlers who, not too long ago, were students like you. In their short careers, these engineers and product managers have had an impact on Google and our products. For today’s post, we sat down with Laura Holmes, a product manager at Google.

Tell us about your path to Google.

Laura Holmes: I went to Stanford where I considered being an English and psychology major. I discovered computer science pretty late in the game because one of my dormmates suggested I take the intro class. I found that there are actually quite a bit of similarities between English and coding—phrases, for example, whether they be in literature or code, represent very complex thoughts. I ended up working at Google in New York City as a software engineering intern on mobile search quality. I was told that I would make a great product manager (PM) since I spoke well and knew technology so I actually spent a couple of weeks during my internship as a PM, specifically on mobile docs. During this time I was the PM for the launch of the doclist and mobile spreadsheets UI. After graduating, I worked on user experience at Cooliris before joining Google’s Associate Product Manager program, which is a two year rotational program for those interested in product development. I was recently promoted to Product Manager on Google Analytics conversion tracking products, helping marketers understand their return on investment across different marketing channels.

Tell us about your APM experience. What rotations did you have?

LH: The APM program is an amazing two-year rotational program that helps grow new grads with Computer Science backgrounds into Product Managers. They do this by giving you way too much responsibility way too soon, and everyone just expects you to rise to the occasion. APMs have the same responsibilities as any Product Manager, where you have to work with engineers and designers to define the direction and strategy of your product. Some could liken it to a sink or swim mentality, but it’s mostly swim because Google’s there helping you every step of the way with all sorts of mentorship and skill development.

After you spend one year on a product, APMs rotate onto a different product, usually in an entirely different product area. The rotation experience is important to the APM program because it gives you a great breadth of experience across different teams. It was a great way for me to discover the other things I wanted to learn to balance out my skill set.

When I first joined Google, I thought they were going to put me in mobile because I had a lot of experience there. However, my first rotation was actually on Search and my second rotation was on the conversion tracking team for Google Analytics. I really benefited from the placement process, because I never would have picked Search for myself. I always thought Search was this big behemoth that no one fresh out of college could possibly help with, but within a couple months I was making decisions that affected a large percentage of queries. I bounced around between a couple different Search projects, then Google Instant started taking off, and I ended up working on that full-time. I first worked on localization of Instant and the slow connection experience, child safety experience, and machine planning and roll-out scheduling. At the end of the day, I was in charge of where Google Instant was going to be and when. It was up to me to decide when Google Instant was launching in Europe and Southeast Asia.

In what ways have you been able to make an impact?

LH: Google Instant was a highly strategic product that gave us an edge in a lot of search markets. However, we had to carefully figure out which markets we launched in to make sure the product met our quality bar, and that was my job. Because I was the decision maker for when and where we launched, I had a big impact on Google Search's positioning in international markets.

How has Google helped encouraged you to be innovative?

LH: Google encourages innovation first and foremost through its people. We spend a lot of time in rooms just brainstorming, and by having a bunch of smart and adventurous people together, we get a lot of great ideas.

Another way in which Google encourages innovation is through lowering the barrier to trying out new ideas through prototyping. There are a couple of in-house tools that make it possible for people to make quick changes and try them out on real users, fast.

Search has an infrastructure that allows engineers to prototype rapidly. If you want to try something new, rather than having to do everything from scratch, you can prototype the change within a couple of minutes. This allows innovation to happen at a large, quick scale.

How long after joining Google did you first see the impact of your work?

LH: The first launch was the Google anagram Easter egg, which was about 3-4 months after I joined. On April Fools’ Day, I worked with the spelling team to localize a special result for the search query [anagram], which asks the user, “Did you mean ‘nag a ram’?” We put it in 35 languages and it was pretty cool to set up Google alerts and see as people slowly discovered the Easter egg and their surprise and delight in Google.

The Instant project moved very quickly. The whole project took about five months to grow it from a demo on one engineer's computer to an internationally launched product. I joined the project about two months in, and saw it launch a meer three months later in five countries that were my responsibility.

What does Google offer that is different from other companies?

LH: The APM program gives you a lot of the same experiences you could get at a start-up, but you have the tools to help you develop professionally. You’re given mentors who help you navigate difficult situations. You're also given a management coach that can work 1:1 with you to develop public speaking skills and interpersonal skills to navigate tricky situations.

Google's also great because of the quantity of great leaders you get access to, even when you’re an entry level employee. You get to see leadership from a variety of different approaches, and learn which styles you want to emulate.

Lastly, Google also offers you the opportunity to operate at scale. Everything you do has to be scaleable, because it's going to be seen by millions of people. I keep telling myself that if I can succeed here, I can work on pretty much anything.

Any great Google stories?

LH: I gave a presentation to the Board of Directors where I demoed Google Instant. It was such a unique and exciting experience. I had been at Google for only five months, and I was standing in front of the Board of Directors showing them the future of Search. They asked pointed questions about it and then John Doerr asked, “so when is it launching?”

Posted by Jessica Safir, University Programs Coordinator

Android Camp applications available for students in the US and Canada

2012-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

At Google, we are committed to helping the innovators of the future make the most of their gifts. We also believe open source development is a very useful and accessible way for passionate students to get involved with Computer Science in a practical and rewarding manner.

2011 Android Campers

With this in mind, Google is excited to launch the Android Camp 2012 program! Up to 30 current freshmen students will be selected to attend the all-expense-paid Android Camp at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, from July 22 - July 28, 2012. The Android Camp will include interactive and collaborative curriculum focusing on a practical introduction to developing applications for Android and will explore the concepts behind Android, the framework for constructing an application, and the tools for developing, testing, and publishing software for the platform. Students will also get the opportunity to enjoy technical talks by Googlers, and social activities around the Bay Area.

Where can I apply? Visit google.com/students/androidcamp to learn more about the program and apply before the March 11, 2011 deadline.

When is Android Camp? Android Camp will begin on Sunday, July 22nd and will run until Saturday, July 28th.

I want to know more! To learn more about Android Camp and to submit your application, please visit our website at google.com/students/androidcamp. You can also read about last year's Android Camp here.

Posted by Andrew Neginskiy, University Programs Specialist

Rice + Leadership

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Veronica Rae Saron is a Google Student Ambassador at Rice University. This is the last post in her four-part blog series, Rice+, in which she's shared the various creative ways that the Rice community is using Google+ to enhance their world.

On campus, Google+ serves as a fantastic tool for clubs, especially club leadership.

At Rice, we don’t have sororities or fraternities, but we do have residential colleges, a social unit that just begs to organize itself into Circles. I have a “Will Rice” circle, since that’s my residential college, and I also have a “Sid Rich” circle, which is the residential college where I advised during orientation week. A cool feature that integrates Gmail with Google+ also turns my Circles into labels for my emails - so for example, if someone in my “Will Rice” circle sends me an email, it’s automatically labeled that way without needing to set a filter!

Read more about how to organize people into Circles here.

These circles help me to organize my social life and my academic world!

Not only do Google+ Circles help out immensely with organizing club members, but Hangouts of course provide a means to conduct meetings more easily. Usually, club executives meet in person, but if ever a meeting needs to happen on short notice, Hangouts are the best option. Even more commonly, though, group members might not even be on campus at the same time, which can be a problem if you’re on a team that needs to meet frequently, like a group working on a web startup...

The Rice University founding members of SimpApply.com – one of a large handful of tech startups coming out of our university – have discovered Google+ Hangouts and use them extensively. Since some of their team members graduated last year, before Hangouts it was difficult for them to keep in sync. Says co-founder Abhishek Nag:

“The main video display makes it clear who is talking, and it’s especially useful when we have energetic discussions (AKA shouting matches). The 'Extras' features work great for us, and if there's ever a tense moment in the course of our meetings, we can always bring in the mustache.”

The team members of SimpApply are distributed across 5 cities and 2 timezones, and Google+
Hangouts allows them to work effectively on their startup despite the distance.

I know that I’ll be using Google+ Hangouts plenty over this winter break in order to coordinate next semester’s plans for our campus’s celebrateART festival as well as to solidify the events for the club of which I’m the president, the Rice Academy Society. Seeing as both projects involve leadership from a lot of my peers, Hangouts will definitely be a critical tool for planning next semester.

Have you used Google+ Hangouts and Google+ to facilitate projects and leadership opportunities?

Posted by Veronica Rae Saron, Google Student Ambassador

Announcing the Generation Google Scholarship for graduating high school seniors

2012-01-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

In 2010, we launched the Anita Borg Scholarship for First Years-- a program for female high school seniors entering their first year in a university and intending to study computer science. Since then, we have awarded this scholarship to 14 women who are now in the midst of their undergraduate studies in computer science.

The success of the Anita Borg Scholarship for First Years inspired us to broaden the scholarship to support more students who are historically underrepresented in technology. Today, we are proud to announce the Generation Google Scholarship for current high school seniors intending to study computer science at a university in the US or Canada. Scholarship recipients will receive an academic scholarship for up to four years (or until graduation, whichever comes first), as well as be invited to attend Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute the summer following their first year of undergraduate study.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be high school seniors and meet the following eligibility criteria:

Intends to be enrolled in or accepted as a full-time student at a university in the US or Canada for the 2012-2013 school year
Intends to be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in a baccalaureate Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related program
Exemplifies leadership and demonstrates a commitment to and passion for computer science and technology through involvement in their community
Strong record of academic achievement
A student from an underrepresented group in computer science (African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Female, or a Person with a Disability)
Demonstrates financial need

For complete details, please visit the Generation Google Scholarship page on our student jobs site.

Deadline to apply: February 20, 2012

Posted by Azusa Liu, Talent & Outreach Programs

Doodle 4 Google: “If I could travel in time, I’d visit...”

2012-01-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog

Starting today, we’d like to invite K-12 students in the U.S. to participate in our fifth annual U.S. Doogle 4 Google contest. Draw your rendition of the Google logo and you may see it on the ultimate gallery: the Google homepage. The winning doodler will also take home a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school.

The theme for this year’s contest is “If I could travel in time, I’d visit...”. That could mean visiting a past, present or future setting—whether it’s traveling back in time to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, to the future to witness everyday space travel, or to just a few moments ago to relive a poignant experience.

Building on last year’s record-breaking participation (107,000 entries!), we’ve made a few enhancements to the 2012 contest. First, we’re opening Doodle 4 Google up to an even wider audience—with a winner from every state. There will be five finalists and one winner per state, so everyone will have a local doodle champion to cheer on. From these 50 State Winners, we’ll find 5 National Finalists and the lucky National Winner.

We’re also partnering with Crayola this year and the winning doodler’s artwork will appear on a special edition of the 64-crayon box—a first!

Participating is easier than ever, since we’ve eliminated the registration step. All you need to do is submit your child’s or student’s artwork by March 20 with a signed and completed entry form.

Contest judging starts with Google employees and a panel of guest judges—including multi-platinum singer Katy Perry, Phineas and Ferb creator and executive producer Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, and recording artist Jordin Sparks, as well as other great illustrators and artists—who will help us pick the state finalists and winners. Then, on May 2, we’ll put the 50 state winners up for public vote. All 50 State Winners will be flown to New York City for the national awards ceremony on May 17, with the winning doodle appearing on May 18.

The doodles by the 50 State Winners will be displayed at The New York Public Library's historic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street in an exhibition open to the public over the summer. We’ll also be partnering with museums across the country to display the artwork of the state finalists in areas near their homes.

For more details, check out google.com/doodle4google, where you’ll find full contest rules and entry forms. Happy doodling and good luck!

Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP, Product Management

Inside ITRP - Brian

2012-01-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

Introduction: This is the third post in our series about current residents in Google’s Internal Technology Residency Program. Today, we highlight Brian Call, who joined the ITR Program in February of 2011.

Where did you go to school? What did you study?
Brian Call: I attended the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), in scenic upstate New York, where I earned a degree in applied networking and systems administration (ANSA). The ANSA program at RIT offered me the unique opportunity to learn through a combination of traditional classes, real-world lab scenarios and cooperative education. The cooperative education program gave me the chance to gain valuable experience with several different companies, including SAIC, the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at RIT and Frontier Communications.

Brian works on fixing a Googler's machine, which is one
of the many challenges he faces in a day.

Tell us how you found out about the ITRP program.
BC: I stumbled upon the ITRP program in an email from my school’s career center, only a few hours before the deadline for the application. The multi-component core of the program—training and development, front-line support and internal rotations—caught my attention as a chance to push my limitations and hone my “skills toolbox” in a technologically diverse and highly dynamic enterprise. I also loved the prospect of expanding my horizons through world travel. I took the dive and applied only a few hours before the deadline; The following day, I was pleasantly surprised by an invitation to interview at our college career fair, going on later that week.

What have you enjoyed most about the ITRP program?
BC: There’s so much I’ve enjoyed about the ITRP program. In particular, the program has given me the opportunity to drive across the country to Google headquarters in California, explore new places, meet new people, work with a diverse group of individuals and technology, and I enjoy it so much that, at the end of the day, I can’t wait to go back and do it all over again (minus the cross-country trip of course).

Something else I find truly unique about ITRP is the dynamic nature of the program. Mirroring the dynamic nature of Google, components of the ITRP program are adjusted based on feedback from each new class, with the goal of making the process as streamlined and enjoyable as possible. One significant adjustment that took place before I joined was changing the training schedule from long, concentrated blocks to shorter, more spread out blocks. The content of the training changed as well. The team is very open to feedback (they love it...the more, the better!) and are more than willing to sit down with us to discuss changes.

Tell us about the front-line support part of the ITRP program. Explain what that means and how you've experienced it firsthand.
BC: At Google, we’re helping fellow Googlers solve I.T. based technical issues (however, as the neighborhood “go-to” folks, we often find ourselves solving non-technical issues, too). The goal is to get the Googler back up and running as quickly as possible. Throughout the process, we have the opportunity to chat with really neat folks, including everyone from recruiters (they have the best stories to tell) to pivotal figures in computing history, such as Vint Cerf. Front-line support is, in essence, an opportunity to learn new skills, hone old skills, make people happy and network, all bundled into an exciting, fast-paced experience.

Brian had the opportunity to work from our Kirkland office
for a quarter during his internal rotation. This is just one of the
many awesome images he was able to capture.

New skills aren’t just learned on the front-lines. Front-line support and training/development at Google are tied together in harmony. Needing to solve unbelievably bizarre problems on the fly drives a constant cycle of on-the-job training while, more formal, instructor-led training sessions and self-study skills development drive personal growth and efficiency. With front-line support, finding the right solution can involve almost anything, from searching textbooks and Internet sources to building test labs to recreate the problem. To me, front-line support carries a prerequisite to keep an open mind to all solutions, no matter how strange they may seem.

What do you look forward to most during the rest of your time as an ITR?
BC: I’m really looking forward to doing some international travel. The opportunity to travel the globe while helping out at other offices is an exciting prospect, especially since I’ve never traveled outside of North America.

Posted by Brian Call, Internal Technology Resident

Ask your question in the 2012 Google Science Fair

2012-01-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog

Are human beings born curious, or can curiosity be nurtured through environment, competition or a good teacher? Everyone’s got a question—that’s ours. But we’re sure you’ve got tons of questions, too. Today, we’re inviting students around the world to pose their most pressing questions about the world around them and answer those questions through scientific inquiry.

Along with our partners CERN, The LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American, today we’re launching the second annual Google Science Fair, the largest online science competition in the world, open globally to students ages 13-18. Either individually or in teams of up to three people, students pose a question, develop a hypothesis and conduct science experiments to test it. The entire process is detailed and submitted online, via a website template participants fill out themselves, so all you need to participate is curiosity, an Internet connection and a browser.

Last year, we received entries that strove to solve a wide variety of needs, from “How can I cure cancer?” to “Can I teach a robot to learn English?” to “Can I build a faster sailboat?” The breadth and depth of these projects was incredibly impressive, and this year we hope to see even more entries from the next generation of brilliant young scientists.

This year’s fair will be even more global than the last: We’re now accepting submissions in 13 languages (Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Spanish and Russia). We will also be recognizing 90 regional finalists (30 from the Americas, 30 from the Asia Pacific and 30 from Europe/Middle East/Africa). From these 90, to be announced on April 1, our judges will select the top 15 finalists, who will be flown to Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. for our live Google Science Fair final event on July 23, 2012. At the finals, a panel of distinguished international judges (like Vint Cerf, Sylvia Earle and Nobel Laureates David Gross and Ada Yonath) will select top winners in each age category (13-14, 15-16, 17-18).

We’re also introducing a new category for this year’s competition—the Scientific American Science in Action award. We were so inspired by 2010 finalist Harine Ravichandran’s project, which attempted to solve energy surges in rural villages, that we decided to recognize an outstanding project that addresses a social, environmental or health need to make a difference in the lives of a group or community, as Harine’s project did for her grandparents’ village in India. The winner will also be flown to Mountain View for the finalist event in July.

The Google Science Fair opens today, January 12, worldwide, and we’ll accept submissions until Sunday, April 1 at 11:59 GMT (or 6:59pm ET/3:59pm PT). In addition to satisfying your curious mind, your brilliant project can also help to win you some pretty cool prizes, like a $50,000 college scholarship from Google, a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with a National Geographic Explorer or an internship at Google or any one of our partners. Our Scientific American Science in Action award winner will earn $50,000 and year-long mentorship to make their project goal a reality.

The winners of last year’s inaugural Google Science Fair became something like scientific rock stars. Shree Bose, Naomi Shah and Lauren Hodge met with President Obama, were invited to speak at big events like TEDx Women and were featured in Wired magazine. Shree, our grand prize winner, was named one of Glamour magazine’s 21 Amazing Young Women of the Year. White House visits and Glamour aside, every student in the Google Science Fair has the chance to do hands-on research that can truly change the world.

Visit google.com/sciencefair and ask your most burning questions at the top of your voice for the world to hear. Google itself was founded through experimentation and with the Google Science Fair, we hope to inspire scientific exploration among the next generation of scientists and engineers, celebrate scientific talent, create scientific role models and unite students around the world in the quest for learning.

Posted by Cristin Frodella, Google Education Team

Street View: your friendly campus tour guide

2012-01-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog

For many, the start of a new year is also the start of a new semester. Whether you’re a current student trying to familiarize yourself with campus, an applicant assessing your options or an alumnus feeling nostalgic, the Street View feature in Google Maps can be your tour guide without the backward walking. We recently added imagery of more university campuses to the existing special collections already available via Street View through our Partner Program. Let’s take a quick tour of some of the many beautiful campuses around the world.

In Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward, you can find Waseda University. Founded in 1882, it is known for producing some of the top Japanese politicians and business leaders in recent history. Check out the statue of Ōkuma Shigenobu, who founded the university.

View Larger Map

Halfway around the world, we can visit the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Founded in 1451, this university is one of the oldest in the world, and the fourth oldest in the English speaking world. Take a tour of the magnificent campus starting at the West Quadrangle of the Main Building.

View Larger Map

Hop the Atlantic and cross the U.S. to Stanford University, which was founded in 1891 in Palo Alto, Calif. Located near Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, both of our founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, attended Stanford for their graduate studies. Explore the campus starting at the palm-lined main quad with a view of Hoover Tower.

View Larger Map

Students, take note: Even though your campus is now available in your browser, you still need to go to class! To view other imagery collections of popular universities around the world see a complete list of the campuses or visit a few more highlights in the Street View gallery.

Posted by Chris Fiock, Program Manager for Street View

Google Scholarships in North America - Now accepting applications!

2012-01-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

As part of Google’s ongoing commitment to advancing computing and technology, we are pleased to support the work of our partner organizations in providing scholarships to students studying computer science.

Today we are announcing the following scholarship opportunities in North America -- now accepting applications!

Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities - Deadline: February 5, 2012
Google AISES Scholarship - Deadline: February 29, 2012
Google Hispanic College Fund Scholarship - Deadline: March 1, 2012
Google UNCF Scholarship - US Application ; Canada Application - Deadline: March 18, 2012

2011 Scholars' Retreat in Mountain View, CA
Photo by Robert Fischer, Google engineer

In addition, we are still accepting applications for the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship (Deadline: February 6, 2012).

Scholarship recipients will each receive a $10,000 scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year and will be invited to attend the all-expenses-paid annual Google Scholars’ Retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA. Scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of the applicants’ academic background and their demonstrated passion for computer science.

For complete details on all of our scholarships, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships.

Posted by Stephanie Chan, University Programs Coordinator

Rice + Academics

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Veronica Rae Saron is a Google Student Ambassador at Rice University. In this four-part blog series, Rice+, Veronica will share about the various creative ways that the Rice community is using Google+ to enhance their world. Stay tuned for the second post in this series, which will be published in January.

We have only just begun to scrape the surface in terms of the impact Google+ can have on education. At the bottom of this post I’ve included links to a bunch of resources that talk about Google+'s new role in education, but first I would like to share with you the ways in which some of us have used Google+ at Rice.

+HANGOUT OFFICE HOURS
Right away, Hangouts emerged as a great tool for professors for virtual office hours. Rice is a small university of only about 4,000 undergraduates, which means that most of our classes have less than 40 students. Most of the time, it would make sense for students to talk to professors in person either before, after, or during class. However, for many professors and students finding time face-to-face is difficult, like in the introductory engineering and pre-med classes.

Professor Hafner uses Hangouts to talk about physics with one student.
By the time the Hangout has finished, many students have dropped in and out.

Professors like Jason Hafner of the Physics department are using Hangout technology in order to orchestrate more efficient office hours. Even though he’s an extremely popular professor among the students and enjoys teaching, he’s also very busy with research. By setting a certain window of time during which he is on a Google Hangout, his students can drop in and ask a question. With the “Hangouts with Extras” feature, which includes an online blackboard and Google Docs, students can even have the answer explained in more detail. While Professor Hafner waits for students, he can catch up on work and maximize his productivity.

Professor Hafner is looking forward to using the Hangout office hours feature next semester, in particular for his Physics 102 class, which has over 300 students enrolled. He’s already put together a Physics 102 Google+ Page that he plans to use!

+CIRCLING-UP EDUCATION
Since I’m a Mathematical Economic Analysis and Film Studies double major, my classes tend to be small. Therefore, it isn’t usually necessary to attend office hours since emails to my professors serve that purpose. But this doesn’t mean that I don’t use Google+ for my academic needs.

Not going to lie, I’m a bit of a nerd, and I genuinely love the coursework for my two majors. So, what better way to engage with my majors than to have Circles dedicated to them? My “Your Marginal Benefit Circle” is a Circle devoted entirely to economics – I follow economists and economic enthusiasts of all opinions on that feed, and I frequently read the articles that they post as I procrastinate doing my problem sets (one of the parts about being a math econ major that I don’t like).

Also the photo and film communities on Google+ are thriving. I keep fantastic photographers like Thomas Hawk and filmmakers like Brad Kremer in my “Film/Photo Gods Circle”, which feeds my creativity and inspiration when I need a boost. Even when I just want to procrastinate, it’s fun to flip through Trey Ratcliff’s photos and gawk in awe.

My "Film/Photo Gods" stream (above) tells me the latest in photography and films,
and my "Your Marginal Benefit" stream (below) takes care of my economic knowledge.

+MORE
Of course, it’s no surprise that across the Internet, educators are taking advantage of Google+’s sleek and sophisticated interface to enhance learning worldwide. Here are a few examples and links that talk about the newest innovations in Google+ education technology that you can engage with and learn about:

Google+ for Universities
Stanford’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence class is entirely online and uses Google Hangouts for worldwide office hours
This UNL professor uses Hangouts for office hours
Boise State student Taylor Bell wrote a blog post about how he uses Google+ at college
18 ways teachers can use Google+ Hangouts in education
Learning Solutions guide to Google+ Hangouts with Education

Do you have any other ideas about how to integrate Google+ with education? Or, do you have links that feature Google+ and education? Share them in the comments below!

Posted by Veronica Rae Saron, Google Student Ambassador

Making computer science accessible worldwide with CS4HS

2012-01-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog

Last summer, K-12 educators in the Boston, Mass. area gathered at MIT for a bit of summer school. They weren’t there to brush up on freshman year biology, but rather to learn a new subject, the programming language Scratch. This is a snapshot of the Google in education group’s Computer Science for High School (CS4HS) program. The teachers gathered at MIT last July had various backgrounds and degrees, but they all attended with one goal—to bring computer science (CS) education back to their schools, and their students.

From now until March 3, 2012, CS4HS is accepting applications from interested colleges and universities for our fourth consecutive year of computer science workshops. If you’re not affiliated with a college or university you can still encourage your local university, community college or technical school to apply for a grant. In the late spring, after applications close, we’ll post workshop websites of participating schools on cs4hs.com for professors looking for ideas and for teachers interested in learning more about what’s being offered.

Over the course of the three-day professional development workshops, funded by Google and held on university campuses around the world, participants learn about programming software directly from developers and full-time CS faculty. There is balance of discussion, engaging project work and presentations. The workshops prepare educators to teach programming and computing in their schools and turn their students into computational thinkers and creators.

The need for more CS professionals is increasing faster than universities are able to graduate CS students, and CS4HS hopes to address this gap with our “train the trainer” approach. We provide the universities with the support they need, so they can provide local teachers with the tools they need, so that those teachers can teach students the skills they will need.

In 2011, we funded more than 70 programs that trained thousands of educators worldwide on various aspects of CS. In 2012, we are expanding our program to include more regions and reach even more teachers. If you are affiliated with a university, community college or technical school in the U.S, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, China, Australia or New Zealand and are interested in creating a three-day CS4HS workshop, we want to partner with you.

Visit www.cs4hs.com for more information and details on the types of programs we are looking to fund. You will also find curriculum modules from past workshops to use or adapt, as well as a list of participating schools from 2010 and 2011. There’s also an example of a successful program and of a stand-out application to get you started on the right track.

Help spread enthusiasm for computer science in your community: When you’re ready to apply, submit your application online by March 3, 2012.

Posted by Erin Mindell, Program Manager, Google Education Group

Announcing the Google Freshman Engineering Practicum Internship - Apply Today!

2012-01-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

Google is invested in increasing the pipeline of future computer scientists and software developers, particularly those who are historically underrepresented in the field. Many aspiring computer scientists could benefit from a program that bridges the gap between academic study and a professional internship. Google wants to inspire these students to continue in the field with such a program.

With this in mind, Google announces the second year of the Freshman Engineering Practicum internship program for Summer 2012. Current freshmen majoring, or intending to major, in Computer Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering will be selected to participate in the Practicum. This program includes three main components: a software project, skills-based training, and professional development. Freshman Engineering Practicum is only available at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

The program is open to all qualified college freshmen, and is committed to addressing diversity in the field of Computer Science. Students who are a member of a group that is historically underrepresented in the technology industry are encouraged to apply.

Please visit http://www.google.com/jobs/engpracticum/fep/ for more information and to apply today! For some insight into the experience of being a Freshman Engineering Practicum intern, check out this blog post featuring Tasha Nesiba, one of last year’s interns.

The deadline to apply is February 5, 2012. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we encourage early applications. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at fep@google.com.

Posted by Jessica Lulovics, University Programs Specialist

Recruiter Tips & Tricks: Jeff takes your questions via Hangouts On Air

2012-01-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Updated 1/12: The last Hangout On Air will now be broadcasted at 3:30 pm PST instead of 4:00 pm PST.

You know lead engineering recruiter Jeff Moore from his Recruiter Tips & Tricks series on the Google Students blog, which wrapped up in December. Since then, we’ve been thinking of ways in which Jeff can continue sharing his wisdom with all of you, and how to do so in a fun and engaging environment. What better way for us to connect you with him than Google+ Hangouts On Air? Over the next couple of weeks, Jeff will be hosting a series of Hangouts On Air from his Google+ profile. Each Hangout On Air will have a different theme based on his most popular Recruiter Tips & Tricks posts. For each Hangout On Air, you can submit your questions ahead of time via the Google Moderator links below. Jeff (and guest Googlers, including Fitz and Ben on January 19th!) will answer the questions with the most votes live. You can also post your question to Google+ using the hashtag #askagoogler in order to be considered for one of the spots in the Hangout.

Here is the line up with Google Moderator links and local time zone conversions so you know when to tune in:

Preparing your resume: Tuesday, January 10th at 9:00 am PST
Technical interviews: Wednesday, January 11th at 1:00 pm PST
Non-technical interviews: Tuesday, January 17th at 11:00 am PST
Transitioning from school to the working world: Thursday, January 19th at 3:30 pm PST

We’ll be accepting questions up until 24 hours before each of the Hangouts On Air begin. When the Hangout On Air starts, we’ll share the link on our Google Students page on Google+. You’ll also be able to see the broadcast on Jeff’s profile. Can’t tune in? Each Hangout On Air will be recorded and shared so you can watch the recap when you’ve got some free time.

Posted by Jessica Safir, University Programs Coordinator

Rice + Virtual Career Panel

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Veronica Rae Saron is a Google Student Ambassador at Rice University. In this four-part blog series, Rice+, Veronica will share about the various creative ways that the Rice community is using Google+ to enhance their world.

The best part about being a Google Student Ambassador is that if you have ideas about a new way to use a Google product, you can immediately take action. From flashmobs at University of Wisconsin at Madison to an entire school holiday honoring Google+ at DePauw University, we ambassadors have had the unbelievable opportunity to capitalize upon the exciting technology that is Google+.

Julia Stiglitz speaks about her TFA experience
from Google's Mountain View office.

In November, I coordinated a virtual career panel for Teach for America (TFA) using Google+ Hangouts, the 10 way video-conference feature offered at no charge. TFA is one of the most popular national nonprofits for undergrads to join after graduation. Last year it received over 46,000 applications and only accepted around 10% of their applicants! However, a lot of students wonder not only about the teaching experience itself, but what sorts of career paths the corps members decide to take after they’re done with TFA. Do you continue to work toward bettering education in society? Do you work in the private sector in consulting, or maybe even in education technology with a large company like Google?

Using a projected screen with an active Hangout, interested students attended a virtual panel featuring TFA former corps members across the country who, after their time with TFA, have taken on diverse career paths:

Ann Best, 1996 Houston Corps Member, TFA, Chief Human Resources Officer, Houston Independent School District
Tia Lendo, 2000 Eastern North Carolina Corps Member, Worked at: Teach First, McKinsey & Company, Google
Robert Lundin, 2000 Houston Corps Member, Worked at: YES College Prep School, Teach for America
Rich Crandall, 2004 Bay Area Corps Member, Worked at: Stanford Design School
Julia Stiglitz, 2004 Bay Area Corps Member, Worked at: Teach For America, Google

It was so much easier to hold this virtual panel via Hangout than organizing a live-in-the-flesh event! We were able to bring speakers who would not have been able to join us otherwise!

The flier that we put up around Rice's campus
to advertise the virtual panel.

I worked with Google, TFA recruiter Sandra Nunez, TFA student ambassador Audra Herrara, and Rukayat Giwa, a former Google intern at UC Berkeley to put on the event. We were able to have two audiences in lecture halls at Rice and at UC Berkeley. Each lecture hall had a projection of the panel for the audiences and a computer with a webcam so that the audience could ask the panelists questions. The event was wildly successful, with many students in attendance commenting afterward that they had learned something new.

“As a student interested in education reform, this event was incredibly informative,” said Alex Pena, a junior political studies major at Rice. “It was interesting to listen to how the corps members’ related with each other a lot based on their experiences, and how TFA was clearly a transformative experience in their lives.”

“Google Hangouts was the catalyst that allowed us to see these panelists’ shared passion,” declared Liz Jackson, a senior math major, “The panelists’ different locations across the country presented a wider variety of viewpoints and life experiences.”

Sandra Nunez, Rice Univeristy’s TFA recruiter, also had positive comments regarding the event:
“I’ve been a campus recruiter for two years now, and we’ve never done anything like this before. Teach For America produces bright leaders who can go into a variety of professions after their time in the classroom, and hearing from our friends at Google and elsewhere really demonstrated that.”

The panelists’ passion for bettering America’s education was clear throughout the dialogue, and the opportunity to witness such a discourse would not have been available for the Rice and UC Berkeley students if it were not for Google+’s incredible ability to connect people. After all, the panelists were located across three different time zones, and yet they were able to speak from the comfort of their own homes!

Do you have ideas about how Hangouts can revolutionize the college events or recruiting efforts for organizations? Let us know in the comments below!

Posted by Veronica Rae Saron, Google Student Ambassador

Extra special thanks to Tia Lendo, Rukayat Giwa, Sandra Nunez of TFA, Audra Herrera (Rice Class of 2012 and Rice TFA Ambassador), the Rice Academ Society, and our fantastic panelists for helping to make this event take place!

2011 EMEA Computer Science for Highschool (CS4HS) Grants

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Teacher training workshops at Strathmore University, Kenya

Teaching computer science at the high school level presents diverse challenges throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. For example, in Africa, teachers have limited access to training and curriculum resources. In the U.K. or Germany, CS educators sometimes struggle to keep up with fast changing technology or have difficulty demonstrating that computer science can be a rewarding and “cool” career choice.

To help teachers address these challenges, the Google CS4HS (Computer Science for High School) grant program provides funding to universities throughout the region to work in tandem with local high schools and middle schools to educate and inspire the next generation of computer scientists, primarily through teacher training workshops.

Robotics training at TU Munich, Germany

In 2011, Google funded nearly $400,000 towards 21 projects across 13 countries. These projects collectively impacted thousands of teachers and enabled some very exciting projects. For example, workshops run by Strathmore University in Nairobi became a nation-wide training program for teachers in Kenya. The Technical University of Munich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) used the funding to run robotics workshops, with EPFL further focusing on how to engage female students.

If you belong to a university interested in applying for 2012, please visit www.cs4hs.com to get more details about the types of programs we are looking to fund. You will also find curriculum modules from past workshops provided for you to use or adapt, as well as examples of a successful past projects and an exemplary application.

Thank you to all of our 2011 participants for bringing computer science education to thousands of more students throughout EMEA!

Posted by Elaine Neumaier, EMEA University Programs

Rice + Global Socializing

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Veronica Rae Saron is a Google Student Ambassador at Rice University. In this four-part blog series, Rice+, Veronica will share about the various creative ways that the Rice community is using Google+ to enhance their world. Stay tuned for the second post in this series, which will be published in January.

Now that the semester at Rice has finished up with a grueling finals period, we Rice Owls are looking forward to eating home-cooked food, sleeping in our own quiet bedrooms, not having to wear flip-flops in the shower, and of course, hanging out with our high school friends.

But for my peers and for me, being physically distant from our high school friends didn’t mean that we couldn’t still hang out with them while still at college, thanks to Google+ Hangouts. Hangouts are especially fantastic for students at Rice, because our university attracts students from all across the globe. In fact, the screenshot below features my friend Stephanie hanging out on Google+ with her high school friends from Taiwan, who are now at universities in Taiwan as well as across the United States. The 10-way, free video chat allows them to still be goofy together despite being far from each other.

Rice University freshman Stephanie uses Hangouts
to keep in touch with her friends across the globe.

I even use Hangouts to communicate with my college friends, especially when I’m far from them during breaks, like in the next few weeks!

Even though two of my friends and I are miles away from each other
over this winter break, we're able to use Hangouts to catch up and chat.

Even over the last summer, my friends and I jumped onto the Google+ bandwagon and used Hangouts to keep in touch and be with each other virtually. This was perfect for us because even though I live in New Jersey, most of my college friends happen to be scattered all around Texas. I mean, a lot of the time when we’re together in real life, we’re relaxing and watching YouTube videos, which we can also enjoy over Google Hangouts. In fact, my friend Josh used Hangouts to watch YouTube videos with his high school friends across the country throughout last semester.

In the middle of last semester to relieve stress, Josh and his friends
catch up over some cat videos on YouTube via Google+ Hangouts

How do you use Google+ to enhance your social world?

Posted by Veronica Rae Saron, Google Student Ambassador

Googlers Beta - 2011

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction: We are relaunching the Googlers Beta Series, which brings you the unique stories and experiences of Google interns. Though most interns spend their time working at Google offices over the summer, these interns are putting in their time during the fall and winter seasons. Today’s post comes from Steve Suppe, an MBA product manager intern in Google’s Zurich office.

Tell us about yourself (where you’re from, where you went to school, what you studied, etc.)

Steve and his wife on Mt. Rigi, near Lucerne

Steve Suppe: I’m originally from Orange County, California, USA (the OC!). I studied computer science at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where in addition to my getting my bachelor’s degree, I also served in the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant.

I’m currently studying for an MBA at London Business School. It’s a very international place, which makes for some great discussions—just like Google.

You have a bachelor’s in computer science. What drew you to get your MBA? How did you end up in London?

SS: After five years working in software engineering, I spent a year as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Israel. The Fulbright is a fantastic exchange program that allows you to go out and attempt big things while experiencing life in another country. In my case, it really altered my intended path of a PhD.

I worked with IBM Research Labs in Haifa, Israel as a software engineer on distributed search, while also independently starting a social network for volunteers and organizations in Israel. The experience in developing that product, building a team and working with non-profit organizations made me realize how much I loved actually building products, and piqued my interest in an MBA.

I chose London for a variety of reasons but most importantly, I feel every year I spend outside the U.S. is so educational. My assumptions are challenged every day, and I’ve learned a lot about the world (mostly that there is so much more to learn!).

Tell us about your path to Google.

SS: With an MBA you can do many things—banking, consulting, general management, the list goes on. For a long time during my studies I thought I might leave technology behind, but I eventually realized that my heart is in technology and that, one way or another, I would have to incoporate tech into whatever I did.

The Google Zurich office posted an advertisement at my school looking for product manager interns, essentially MBA candidates with technical degrees. I really get a thrill when I talk about Google products and the cool, useful features they should have. I think basically everyone has been “wow’ed” by a Google feature at some point in their lives. The allure of helping to build a product that could affect millions of people was too strong to turn down!

What’s the Zurich office like?

SS: Two things came to my mind the first day. Firstly, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Every corner (or curve) of the building is designed to stimulate, whether through fun collaborative spaces or comfortable places to work alone. And, despite the seeming chaos, everything seems to flow naturally.

Secondly, every person here is sharp and they want to work with you. People are ready to talk about the cool new thing they’re working on, or how they’re going to change the world with their ideas to make the best products.

How have you liked interning at Google? What projects have you been working on?

SS: I definitely feel I made the right decision coming here. I’m currently working on Calendar. We’re creating roadmaps for a lot of cool new features that are coming down the pipe. We’re also taking a look at how Calendar can better support more of the Google product line.

Beyond that, I’ve had the opportunity to lead the charge on developing a lot of internal capabilities that allow us to really understand how Calendar is being used every day. This is a lot of fun, as I use more of my MBA training to think about what drivers of business we really need to measure.

What’s the most challenging part of working at Google?

SS: The challenging part is also the most fun. Google lets the best ideas compete their way to the top. That means you have to really make yourself heard, and the best way to do that is to talk to every single person you meet. The neat part is that everyone loves good ideas, even if they’re not their own! So while you’re in a never-ending attempt to sell your project, everyone else is too, which means it’s never-ending collaboration as well.

What do you like to do in your free time?

SS: Besides technology, my passion lies in music. I’m a writer/performer of original and covered works. I have been playing guitar for 15 years and took singing lessons to help round out my abilities. Playing on stage is great preparation for Google—it gets you over stage fright, and makes you realize that the interesting things you do will get others excited as well.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

SS: That’s a good question! Wherever I may be, I hope I’m making great products that people really find make a difference in their lives.

Posted by Jessica Safir, University Programs Coordinator

2011 Google Green Search Trends

2011-12-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted from the Google Green Blog

One of the things I enjoy most about working on Google’s green team is understanding what gets people interested in green topics. One way to uncover that is to look at the most popular searches. This year’s Zeitgeist, released today, highlights the fastest rising searches in 2011 and includes several categories related to the environment.

We could have guessed that solar would be popular, but who knew so many people were searching for backyard chickens and garbage island? I learned a few things, too -- about an earless bunny that created a stir about radiation, and microorganisms that light up Puerto Rico’s famous bioluminescent bay.

To explore top green searches in the US in the Zeitgeist, you can find lists in the Science, Tech & Gadgets, and Quirky categories. The lists include top searches in alternative energy, rare wild animals, hybrid and alternative vehicles, environmental questions, what people are reusing, quirky environmental, waste disposal, and sustainability.

As part of Google Green, we created the Green Scrapbook so you can explore these green trends, choose your favorites, and reveal videos and surprising facts about them. As you click around, you create your very own 2011 Green Scrapbook, which you can personalize with your name on top and share with your friends. Check out the highlights video:

Google continues to create a better web that’s better for the environment. So it’s encouraging to see that 2011 was another year when people were using the web to find information and resources to make greener choices. We hope that the more we understand about garbage islands, the more we’ll choose to use reusable bags. And the more we understand what deforestation is, the more we’ll want to protect the cute red panda. I’m off to make my 2011 Green Scrapbook to help spread the word!

Posted by Erin Carlson Reilly, Google Green Team

Giving back in 2011

2011-12-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today, our SVP of Google.org, Shona Brown, announced $40 million in Google end-of-year grants, and we’re thrilled to report that nearly $20 million is going toward supporting education—specifically, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and girls’ education.

As a company with computer science at our core, supporting strong STEM programs is in our DNA. We know how important it is to inspire the next generation and introduce students to the possibilities of STEM and CS at a young age. This year, Google.org is funding 15 highly effective STEM programs, including Boston-based Citizen Schools and the D.C. Public Education Fund (both 100Kin10 partners), Generating Genius in the U.K. and Teach for All, four organizations that enrich the learning experiences of underserved youth. In total, our grants will provide enhanced STEM education for more than 3 million students.

Our end-of-year giving is also supporting programs that focus on girls’ education, specifically in the developing world. It’s a simple but remarkably powerful fact: give a girl an education and you’ll improve the chances for lifelong success not only for her, but also for her entire family and community. Among others, we’re funding the African Leadership Academy, which awards merit scholarships to promising young African women, and the Afghan Institute of Learning, which provides literacy classes to women and girls in rural Afghanistan. In total, our funding in this area will educate more than 10,000 girls.

You can see a complete list of education organizations receiving grants here (PDF).

Nonprofit organizations play an increasingly crucial role in making sure that vital services reach the people and communities that need them most, and we are thrilled to be able to support the work of so many incredible organizations. In addition to education, Google.org also chose to give to organizations promoting technology for social good and those fighting against modern day slavery. For the complete story of how Google is giving back in 2011, read Shona’s post on the Official Google Blog.

Posted by Jordan Bookey, Head of K-12 Education Outreach

College Tips by Google: A new site for students

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

On my last trip back to New York (where I grew up), I finally gave into my parents’ demands to get rid of everything in my childhood room that I didn’t need anymore (little did I know this was so they could turn my room into a home gym--sad, right?). After a whirlwind of a cleaning session, I was left with a pile in the middle of my floor:

...and this was about a tenth of it!

From materials which helped me as a prospective freshman--campus maps, legal pads with notes about where to apply, notes from my guidance counselor, etc--to my college notebooks, printouts of presentations with comments from group projects and resumes marked up by career services, I was amazed by one thing--how much of my college experience was organized offline.

Though I relied on Google products like Gmail to help manage my work and social life as a high-school student, the pile in the middle of my room made me think about how much easier my college experience could have been if there was a site dedicated to giving students ideas about how to use Google tools and products to stay organized in school. For this reason, I worked with a number of recently graduated Googlers to put together College Tips by Google.

On this site, you’ll find a collection of tips broken down into three different sections:

Tips for high school seniors to help with the application process, campus visits and getting ready for school.
Tips for current students to help keep your schoolwork and social life organized
Tips specifically for dealing with all the responsibilities of being a college senior, like preparing for graduation and looking for your first job

Though I think we’ve put together some cool ways to use Google products for college success, I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface and would love to hear your ideas as well. As you check out the site, submit your own Google college tips for a chance to be featured right here in your very own post on the Google Student Blog.

I hope you find that this new site helps you with everything you need for the best four years of your life--except an extra hand to clean up your dorm room!

Posted by David Kaufman, Cornell University ‘10 (Go Red!), Product Marketing Manager

Celebrating women in technology: Google at Grace Hopper 2011

2011-12-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

Google was a proud platinum sponsor of the 2011 Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing, which was held in Portand, Oregon from November 9th through the 12th. At Grace Hopper, women from various fields in technology got together to attend conference sessions relevant to their research and career interests, network, and discuss the role of women in technology.

Over 80 Googlers attended the conference, many of whom led or participated in panels or sessions on topics such as What If... There Were More Women in Technology? The Business Case for Diversity, Returning to Work after Maternity Leave: Can You Have the Best of Both Worlds?, and Technology for Non Profits and Start Ups: How to Identify Tools and Teach Enterprises How to Leverage the Web. Googlers also participated in K-12 networking sessions and hosted a project in the conference’s Open Source Codeathon for Humanity, fixing known issues for Google Person Finder.

A few other highlights:

Google-hosted luncheon with a talk by Engineering SVP Alan Eustace, recognizing the Google Anita Borg scholars, Google Grace Hopper travel scholars, and other Google scholars from this past year in attendance
Midnight Voodoo Doughnut run with past Google interns and program participants
Our very own photo kiosk at the Google booth where hundreds of attendees put their best face forward
A night of dancing at the Sponsor Night party, co-sponsored by Google and Microsoft

It was an action-packed conference to say the least! Take a closer look at Google’s presence at Grace Hopper here:

The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is presented by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology and the Association for Computing Machinery. For more information, please visit the Grace Hopper conference site. For more information on all of our scholarships and student programs, visit www.google.com/students.

Posted by Azusa Liu, Talent & Outreach Programs

Opening up a world of educational content with YouTube for Schools

2011-12-11T20:47:00.001-08:00

Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog

When I was in school during the 90s, watching videos in the classroom was a highlight of any week. The teacher would roll in a television on a cart, pop in a VHS tape, and then we’d enjoy whatever scratchy science video my teacher had checked out from the school video library that week. Sight, sound and motion have always had the power to engage students and complement classroom instruction by bringing educational topics to life.

We’ve been hearing from teachers that they want to use the vast array of educational videos on YouTube in their classrooms, but are concerned that students will be distracted by the latest music video or cute cat, or a video that wasn’t appropriate for students. While schools that restrict access to YouTube may solve this distraction concern, they also limit access to hundreds of thousands of educational videos on YouTube that could help bring photosynthesis to life, or show what life was like in ancient Greece.

To address this issue, we’ve developed YouTube for Schools, a network setting that school administrators can turn on to grant access only to the educational content from YouTube EDU. Teachers can choose from the hundreds of thousands of videos on YouTube EDU created by more than 600 partners like the Smithsonian, TED, Steve Spangler Science, and Numberphile.

We know how busy teachers are, and that searching through thousands of videos sounds like a daunting visit to the world’s largest library, so we’ve also worked with teachers to put together more than 300 playlists broken out by subject -- Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts -- and by grade level. Teachers can find them listed out at youtube.com/teachers. Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without your input -- teachers, what videos do you use in your classroom? Suggest your own education playlist here.

YouTube for Schools is just the latest initiative in our ongoing attempts to make YouTube a truly valuable educational resource, and to inspire learners around the world with programs like YouTube Space Lab. So how do you get started? To join YouTube for Schools or learn more about the program, head on over to www.youtube.com/schools.

Brian Truong, Product Manager, recently watched “The Challenges of Getting to Mars: Transporting a Mars Rover.”

Recruiter Tips & Tricks: You've accepted a job offer...now what?

2011-12-07T18:01:00.001-08:00

Introduction: Since September, Lead Engineering Recruiter Jeff Moore has been writing weekly posts for our Recruiter Tips & Tricks series. His posts have covered a wide range of topics from how to navigate a career fair to tips for acing a technical interview. This week he wraps up the series with a post that discusses what you should keep in mind once you accept a job offer. Can't get enough of Jeff's tips? Keep an eye out for him on the Google Students page on Google+. You never know where he may show up!

Hopefully all the stuff we’ve talked about the last three months has paid off (if it hasn’t...it will!) and you’ve decided on a job. Awesome! Congrats! The only thing left is to show up on your first day right? Wrong....as crazy as it sounds there are still things you need to do to prepare for your new job.

Finish your degree - The most obvious tip of them all...I’ve been saving this one for the last post. Chances are, the offer you just accepted is contingent upon you completing your degree. And you didn’t think it was important to read the fine print, eh? So, even though you’ve got a job and you’re feeling good about your future...don’t lose sight of the present and finish your education.

Stop interviewing - And the second most obvious tip of this series...seriously, once you accept a job it’s time to stop interviewing with other companies. Honor your commitment to your new employer.

Keep up to date on your future employer - The tip here is to make sure that you are up to date on the biggest issues facing your current employer. You don’t need to be obsessive about this but you also don’t want to be the person who shows up on your first day to find out the company went out of business 3 months ago...yet no one called to tell you the news. Additionally, keeping up to date will allow you to be prepared for anything on your first day and show your new boss that you’ve been committed and excited about the role since you accepted.

Get your life in order - Before you start this next adventure in your life, make sure you have a place to live, transportation to/from work and everything you need to be able to focus on work from day one. The last thing you want to do is show up to work disheveled and distracted because your personal life is a mess and you’re worried about where you’re staying next week. Take the time and energy you need to get settled and show up on your first day fired up and ready to go!

Enjoy your last few months as a student - You still have some studying to do, but with your job hunt out of the way you should have more time to relax and enjoy these last few months of student life! Soak up the campus experience, spend quality time with your friends (who will soon be scattered all over the world), and celebrate. You worked hard, you earned it.

Ok, that’s it this week and for this series. I hope we’ve been able to help those of you starting out with your career and found a few of these tips to be helpful. For those of you still looking for a job; keep networking and good things will happen. Good luck out there!

Posted by Jeff Moore, Lead Engineering Recruiter

Not your everyday office hours

2011-12-07T13:09:00.001-08:00

This Friday, December 9 at 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST, we’re kicking off our monthly Google+ Office Hours series with three pioneers in online education, Khan Academy founder Salman Khan and Stanford AI class professors Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun (also Googlers). They will discuss their work and vision for reinventing education, and their virtual office doors will be open for you to ask them questions live.

The Google+ hangout will be broadcast live on +Khan Academy for you to drop in and ask questions. If you can’t make it or prefer submitting questions via text, please post and vote on questions on the Google in Education YouTube page anytime before office hours begin on Friday.

Join us on Friday by adding the Khan Academy Google+ Page to your circles. You will have a chance to actively participate or watch the office hours from the Khan Academy page. Please be patient, just like real office hours, sometimes you have to wait to join.

Our goal with this Google+ Office Hours series is to make global industry thought leaders accessible to you, and give you the opportunity to share your thoughts with and ask questions of them. You never know who your ideas might inspire next.

We’d also love to hear from you in the blog comments below. Who’d you like to see join Google+ Office Hours next?

See you in Office Hours!

Posted by Ria Tobaccowala, Google+ Community Partnerships