Microsoft is expanding their Bing in the classroom program. The company is hoping to improve their market share against rivals Google and Yahoo and as we’ve seen time and time again, the classroom can be a very lucrative place to do that. The new Bing in the Classroom program actually has some really great points for students and schools.

Ad-Free Searching

In the Bing in the Classroom program, participating schools can use Bing as their search engine and those searches will return no ads. This provides a safer environment for students browsing the web online and for most, it’s just less annoying. The program is now available for schools and grades K-12.

Free Surface Tablets

Microsoft is also enticing parents,teachers and friends to use Bing in a rewards program. The program is similar to some that big box stores at Target use to give money back to schools. But rather than spending and giving money, Microsoft is creating a way for schools to earn Surface tablets.

The Washington Post reports that 60 parents, teachers and friends doing 30 searches a day could earn a school a Surface tablet in under a month.

“We absolutely are an ad-supported business, but we think that schools are not the time and place for that,” Matt Wallaert the Microsoft employee who created Bing In The Classroom told The Post. “Obviously we hope that parents will hear that message and want to use Bing at home.”

Google has offered ad-free searching for schools through their Google for Education program since 2007. Microsoft has qualifiable name and brand recognition with parents with school aged children which hopefully can bolster the use of the search engine, at least in schools.