Amazon chief Jeff Bezos said Tuesday that the first free preschool backed by his philanthropic fund will open next month to disadvantaged children in the US internet giant's home state.

Bezos posted a photo of a new classroom with children's books on shelves and carpets on the floor on Instagram, saying the first Bezos Academy set to open on October 19 is just the beginning.

"This one in Des Moines (Washington) is the first of many free preschools that we'll be opening for underserved children," Bezos said in the post.

"Extra kudos to the team for figuring out how to make this happen even amidst Covid, and to Wesley Homes for stepping up with the facility."

The academy will make its debut as schools throughout the US rely on remote-teaching and grapple with how to safely get children back into classrooms during the pandemic.

The opening comes two years after billionaire Bezos announced the creation of a philanthropic fund to help homeless families and launch preschools in low-income communities, committing an initial $2 billion.

The "Bezos Day One Fund" created by Bezos and his ex-wife MacKenzie will focus on two areas: helping "existing nonprofits that help homeless families" and funding "a network of new, nonprofit, tier-one preschools in low-income communities," he wrote.

The fund aims to launch and operate "a network of high-quality, full-scholarship, Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities," according to Bezos.

Bezos has said early childhood education is a critical area and that "the money spent there is going to pay gigantic dividends for decades."

He said when the foundation was established that the schools would "use the same set of principles that have driven Amazon" and that "the child will be the customer."

Bezos, the world's richest person with a net worth soaring as high as $190 billion from his Amazon stake, had previously asked Twitter users for ideas on philanthropic causes.

Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Judge halts WeChat download ban in US-China tech battle
New York (AFP) Sept 21, 2020
A US judge on Sunday blocked the government's ban on WeChat downloads, hours before it was due to take effect in an ongoing technology and espionage battle between Washington and Beijing. The Trump administration had ordered a ban on downloads of the messaging platform WeChat as well as hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, both owned by Chinese companies. Both bans have now been suspended. A California court ruling said it granted a "motion for a nationwide injunction against the implementat ... read more