The AOL Foundation will give grants of up to $7,500 each this school year to 54 groups of educators in a new program that supports innovative technology uses in K-12 classrooms nationwide.

Besides the cash awards, the Interactive Education Initiative provides recipients technical assistance, free AOL accounts and access to a special online network. The network will provide grant recipients curriculum assistance and other Web-based education resources.

Grants were awarded in 23 states to such projects as an online multilingual library with books written by children around the world, a Web site collaboration between teens and senior citizens, and a site dedicated to one community's experience with the civil rights movement.

The AOL Foundation was established by the Internet service provider America Online last year to promote the use of online technology to benefit families, children and the disadvantaged.