Projects will help bridge the digital divide and create hands-on learning opportunities
As part of its annual Data Center Community Impact Program, Google announced more than $200,000 in new funding today to ten area non-profit organizations to support STEAM learning, technology education and access to period products, among other initiatives.
The Data Center Community Impact Program supports eligible organizations and initiatives directly impacting the immediate community surrounding Google data centers. The dollars are awarded to nonprofits working on initiatives focused on STEM education, bridging the digital divide, sustainability, and strengthening the startup and small business ecosystem in Nebraska.
Matt Sexton, public affairs manager at Google, said Google is invested in Nebraska for the long term, and that includes supporting important, local nonprofit organizations.
“Google aims to address a wide variety of nonprofit needs and support a vast array of organizations with many different goals, but all in the name of strengthening community connection,” he said. “The organizations we’re supporting address some of our biggest challenges, playing their own singular role in making the state stronger, more diverse and more inclusive, ultimately lifting the collective good for all Nebraskans.”
Collectively, the projects supported by this year’s funding will enable these local organizations to serve hundreds of thousands of community members through educational programming. This year’s recipients and projects include:
- Access Period to support access to period products for any student in Sarpy County who need them by providing more than 2,500 period product kits that include a supply of tampons, pads and educational materials.
- Bellevue Public Schools to develop collaborative learning spaces at its renovated Frank Kumor Career Center, which expands access to career and STEM programs and allows students to earn dual enrollment credits and certifications.
- Durham Museum to support a student outreach initiative that will engage students and educators through virtual field trips, on-site field trips and the inclusive museum initiative, which serves three Omaha-area elementary schools that serve low income communities.
- Heart Heroes to support supplies needed for the Totes of Hope program, which provides comfort, education and community connection along with a variety of items tailored to meet the diverse needs of congenital heart disease families.
- Hope Center for Kids to provide support to the Hope Learning Academy STEM programming, which emphasizes college access and career readiness for young people in North Omaha.
- Hot Meals USA to support wireless connectivity for disaster response trailers that will help the organization continue to provide hot meals for disaster victims, volunteers and first responders.
- Papillion Community Foundation to provide needed film equipment to Papillion La Vista Media Academy students, who are working on their documentary projects focused on mental health issues and watershed preservation.
- Papillion La Vista Community Schools (PLCS) Foundation to support the PLCS Health Systems Academy Technology, a career prep program for high school students that offers classes on patient care and biomedical education.
- Springfield Platteview Public Schools to support technology enhancement including new tablets, software and related equipment for student use.
- United Way of the Midlands to support the development of a new community training space, which will offer programming to reduce social and economic disparities, including digital equity.
Google first broke ground on a data center in Nebraska in Papillion in 2019. Since then, Google has invested more than $4.4 billion across its data center projects in Papillion, Omaha and Lincoln, and established a long-term commitment to the state. Google employs hundreds of people across the metro area, and has provided more than $2 million in charitable support to local schools and nonprofits in Nebraska.
Learn more about Google in Nebraska at: g.co/economicimpact/nebraska.