Last week, Google announced $200,000 in data center community grants to six Douglas County partners serving residents in the area. Grantees were reviewed by a team of local Google employees from the Douglas County data center and selected because of their short term, high impact programs. The $200,000 in funding will be distributed between the six recipients and help increase access to STEAM education, address housing instability, combat climate challenges and support the arts.  

“We have found such a home in Douglas County, and we are proud to be active contributors to this wonderful community,” Google’s Head of Data Center Economic and Community Development Amber Tillman. “This group of grantees  provide needed programming for local residents and we’re proud to support their work.” 

Education

Douglas County School System received funding that will directly impact the Lithia Springs Comprehensive High School STEM program. This program supports teacher development by giving teachers the opportunity to travel across the U.S. to other STEM programs to observe and collaborate on improving curriculum for students. 

Douglas County Education Foundation received funding to support the purchase of new technology for the Douglas County School District Graduation Center, which will help students further their technological expertise. The funding will also go towards general support of STEM education in the county.

Youth Villages will utilize its funding to expand the STE(A)M Integration Project for At-Risk Youth. This initiative increases the usage of STE(A)M-based projects throughout the curriculum for all youth enrolled at Youth Villages Inner Harbour. Teachers will be provided with hands-on professional development to prepare for implementing these projects with youth experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. Teachers will receive kits that include supplies, instructional videos, lesson plans and workbooks to carry out STE(A)M projects of their choice. 

“Douglas County offers us an incredible support system, and the Google Data Center has seamlessly integrated into the fabric of our community," Douglas County School System Trent North said. "Google is assisting us not only embrace technology in innovative ways, but through their partnership and support, we're preparing students to be exceptional leaders in the workforce of the future. We are grateful Google is an integral part of our community. As a result of their unwavering support, we are able to continue building the young minds of the future."

Sustainability 

Chattachoochee Riverkeeper works in securing enough clean water for now and future generations. This funding will directly go in supporting the increase in Smart Trash Trap devices in the Metro Atlanta area. The Chattahoochee Aquatic Sensor System Integrated creates a real-time water quality sensor to find ‘hotspot’ areas of pollution. 

Economic Opportunity

Circles Douglas County brings together community resources to create programs that support people out of poverty and helps communities reduce their poverty rate. The funding will directly support the Housing Stability Initiative. 

Arts & Culture

Cultural Arts Council (CAC) Douglasville funding will aid in the expansion of resources for the Create Outside the Lines Project, which aims to bridge the gap between technology and the arts. This support will allow for the purchase of two tablets, two portable hotspots, four high speed portable chargers and contactless card readers which will all assist in making transactions easier and safer for all customers and tourists supporting CAC programs. 

Google is proud to support these organizations as an active part of the Douglas County community.  

Learn more about Google in Georgia at: g.co/economicimpact/georgia.