A rural school in Kazakhstan becomes the first in Central Asia to receive Google reference school status
# News
25 March, 2026
The school in the village of Uryl in Katon-Karagai district, East Kazakhstan region, has become the first in Central Asia to receive Google reference school status, an international recognition for the successful integration of digital technologies into the educational process.
This achievement was made possible by the Digital Bala project, implemented by the Fund for Sustainable Development of Education (FURO) under the aitas foundation together with partners. In 2025, the Fund signed a memorandum of cooperation with Google, under which 14 Kazakhstani schools joined the Google for Education program.
The project pays particular attention to teacher training. Together with the Orleu National Center for professional development and the company STEM Solutions, 20 trainers were prepared, who have begun training 240 rural teachers. The teachers have mastered digital tools and started actively using them in their lessons.
Today, students at the school in Uryl use artificial intelligence and digital services, including Gemini and NotebookLM, to prepare for classes, conduct research, and carry out their own projects. With the support of Lenovo, the school received 91 Chromebooks, which made it possible to create a unified digital learning environment.
Anna Artemyeva, regional head of Google for Education for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, visited the village of Uryl to present the international Google reference school certificate.
"With Google reference school status, the school receives world-class recognition and access not only to resources but also to a global community of innovative schools for sharing
This achievement was made possible by the Digital Bala project, implemented by the Fund for Sustainable Development of Education (FURO) under the aitas foundation together with partners. In 2025, the Fund signed a memorandum of cooperation with Google, under which 14 Kazakhstani schools joined the Google for Education program.
The project pays particular attention to teacher training. Together with the Orleu National Center for professional development and the company STEM Solutions, 20 trainers were prepared, who have begun training 240 rural teachers. The teachers have mastered digital tools and started actively using them in their lessons.
Today, students at the school in Uryl use artificial intelligence and digital services, including Gemini and NotebookLM, to prepare for classes, conduct research, and carry out their own projects. With the support of Lenovo, the school received 91 Chromebooks, which made it possible to create a unified digital learning environment.
Anna Artemyeva, regional head of Google for Education for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, visited the village of Uryl to present the international Google reference school certificate.
"With Google reference school status, the school receives world-class recognition and access not only to resources but also to a global community of innovative schools for sharing
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