Google is teaming up with four top rated design schools—Parsons The New School for Design, Pratt Institute, School of Visual Arts and The Cooper Union—as well as Swedish educational company Hyper Island for a design program titled “30 Weeks.” The initiative will channel expertise, ideas and professional insights from Googlers and will last for about 6 months in a co-working space in Brooklyn’s Dumbo.

IKEA is announcing the launch of its annual seasonal initiative Soft Toys for Education aimed to raise funds to provide children in developing regions with an access to quality education. As part of this international effort, the company donates one euro from each IKEA soft toy purchased during the two-month period, through January 4, to UNICEF and Save the Children.

Google is opening up new opportunities for teachers and students across the globe with its latest educational initiative, Connected Classrooms. Rolled out on the Google+ platform, the new online service allows students to virtually explore various places of interest far away from their physical locations—like famous zoos, aquariums, planetariums, museums and more at no cost.