Expanding its involvement in the education sphere, Salesforce on Tuesday announced that schools can use a new platform that the company says will help districts reopen sites safely and methodically.

Rolled out in late spring, Work.com contains tailored public health data, and functionality for contact tracing and wellness checks, which Salesforce claimed will help administrators and staff navigate school reopening and management of campus safety.

Work.com for Schools is priced at $15 per user per year, with an additional cost for contact tracing.

“Work.com for Schools is the technology command center that administers real-life data to make informed decisions, [like] contact tracing so schools can track the spread of the virus in the case of an infection,” Salesforce Vice President for Education Initiatives Ron Smith said in an interview. “It enables schools to manage their facilities and shift scheduling.”

Smith added that Work.com for Schools will also give schools the ability to assess whether students or staff are healthy and can return to work, and will enable schools to quickly give updates to families and community members via text message.

In addition to rolling out Work.com for Schools, the Silicon Valley giant announced another round of investments for five school districts in which it has invested previously: San Francisco Unified School District, Oakland USD, Indianapolis public schools, Chicago public schools, and the New York City Department of Education.

The San Francisco and Oakland districts will each receive $9 million, while the other three will each receive $500,000.

The larger sums will support schools in addressing challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a portion of the Oakland investment will provide specific support to unaccompanied immigrant youth, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Donations to Indianapolis, Chicago, and New York City will support professional development, equity initiatives, and other areas.

Over eight months ago, Salesforce donated $500,000 to New York City’s public school district, after previous investments in the Bay Area districts as well as Indianapolis and Chicago schools.

The company says it has now invested $118 million in education.

Salesforce is also donating an additional $500,000 to support partnerships between its five district partners and Courageous Conversation Global Foundation, an initiative started by the Pacific Educational Group consulting firm whose stated goal is to design curriculum, facilitate seminars, and coach leaders with an eye toward fostering deeper understanding and discussions of race issues.

Follow EdWeek Market Brief on Twitter @EdMarketBrief or connect with us on LinkedIn.

---

See also:

• Salesforce Makes Grant to NYC Schools, in Its Latest Round of Donations to K-12 Districts
• K-12 Dealmaking: Salesforce Invests $5 million in San Francisco Schools
• Tips for Making Account-Based Marketing Work for Your Education Company
• School Districts Look for Diversity in Leadership of Education Companies, ‘So They Get Us’