UNITED KINGDOM – September 12, 2023

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) is receiving USD$2 million in grant funding and additional support from Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, to provide children with a safer journey to school.

AIP Foundation is proud to be the Vietnam lead partner for this initiative to ensure students are safe on their way to and from school across the country. AIP Foundation, a non-profit, has been breaking barriers for a world where younger generations can live and thrive. Across Vietnam, AIP Foundation has been making an impact for 25 years.

“The AI enabled Star Rating for Schools partnership with Google.org is a global game-changer that will support sustainable mobility for youth and contribute to at least eight of the UN Global Goals,” iRAP CEO, Rob McInerney said. “We know that children are approximately 20 times more likely to be killed or injured on a 1-star road compared to a 5-star road. By using artificial intelligence to identify high-risk 1- and 2-star roads that children use on their journey to school we can identify known hazards and mobilise evidence-based upgrades that will save children’s lives.”

Using AI, satellite imagery and Street-View images to detect road safety risks, iRAP, together with partners AIP Foundation, Anditi and the University of Zagreb (FPZ, FER), will provide a country-wide star rating evaluation of road infrastructure around schools in Vietnam and support the upgrades at the highest-risk schools. The YEA (Youth Engagement App) will also be used to capture student perceptions of the risks they face to inform decision-making.

With the Sustainable Development Goals Summit 2023 around the corner, this grant represents a great victory for youth and adoloscents in Vietnam. With support from this grant, youth in Vietnam are not only demanding safe streets and safe mobility, but they are going to be the ones to deliver it with powerful new tools thanks to AI for Global Goals.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Vietnam (Vietnamese/English):\nPhong Le, Country Manager for Vietnam, AIP Foundation (based in Vietnam)\nMob:+84 98 997 36 89, Email:phong.le@aipf-vietnam.org

Global (English/Spanish):\nVictoria Jönsson-Brown, Communications Officer, AIP Foundation\nMob: +84 91 598 75 84, Email: victoria.jonsson@aipf-vietnam.org