(Prineville Community Action Grants 2019 Recipients with Prineville Mayor Steve Uffelman, Facebook Prineville Data Center Site Manager Andrew Gold and Facebook Prineville Data Center Site Manager Ristine Williams | Photo courtesy of Facebook)
Facebook recently hosted a celebration for the 2019 recipients of Facebook’s Community Action Grants, a program created to address needs in Crook County by putting the power of technology to use for community benefit, connecting people online or off and improving STEM education. Facebook is invested in the long-term vitality of the community and this year, 18 outstanding nonprofits and schools were awarded grants to support short-term, high-impact projects.
Mayor Steve Uffelman joined the reception. “When Facebook first arrived in Prineville, no one knew quite what to expect of this tech giant,” said Mayor Uffelman. “From my perspective, it has been a very positive experience. Facebook created jobs, both construction and long term, in a town desperate for an economic boost. It brought revenue through the jobs to local merchants. It purchased land from the county to help heal the county’s reserves. Through franchise fees of power consumption, Facebook expanded a revenue stream to the city which has permitted us to address fundamental shortages in police, infrastructure and debt. And, Facebook created the visibility of Prineville to help us attract more industry while being stewards of and assisting us with environmental issues.
“One of the many benefits Facebook brought was its active, participatory presence in the community. Facebook has contributed significantly to the schools on a variety of fronts by helping with technology as well as providing sports uniforms among other contributions. Above and beyond all negotiated agreements, Facebook provides community grants to aid local projects and needs. Facebook has treated the city well.”
Facebook Prineville Data Center Site Manager Andrew Gold said, “The Community Action Grants initiative is an important program that allows Facebook to promote STEM education and positively impact the community. We are incredibly proud to work with these schools and nonprofits who share our goal of helping Prineville be a wonderful place to live and work.”
2019 Facebook Prineville Data Center Local Community Action Grant Recipients
Barnes Butte STEM Club
$1,000
This grant will support a variety of STEM projects, including Arduino kits, rockets for an aerospace unit lesson and materials for building projects.
Better Together Central Oregon
$10,000
This grant will help establish an internship coordination system in Prineville, linking the business community and schools with meaningful internship opportunities.
Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA)
$44,641.12
This grant will support building mountain bike skills pods along the trail, to be built by volunteers. Additional budget will go toward maps, a kiosk, benches and picnic tables.
Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC)
$18,450
This grant will support COIC’s ability to serve students through smart-board technology interfaced with laptops to create an interactive learning experience.
Crook County High School – Art Department
$5,650
This grant will provide photo and video equipment, software, drone cameras, and licensing for the art department to create a semester-long, project-based elective every semester.
Crook County High School – Eugene Southwell Auditorium
$14,000
This grant will provide a professional-level lighting system for the auditorium, which also serves as a community performing-arts space.
Crook County High School – Script Writing Software
$2,600
This grant will provide site licenses for the high school computer lab, to be used by several classes including the Advanced Drama, Creative Writing and Playwriting programs.
Crook County Kids
$6,497.98
This grant will help with STEM learning through the purchase of Sphero robotics kits, which teach programming and coding skills through customized lesson plans.
Crook County Middle School
$3,059.90
This grant will support computer hardware and software to enhance movie-making, storytelling, and writing and editing skills.
Crook County Parks and Recreation Foundation
$5,000
This grant will help to support a Movies in the Park series.
Crook County School District
$12,916
This grant will support literacy in Crook County by using Educational Software for Guiding Instruction, a web-based assessment and reporting system.
Crook County School District
$9,500
This grant will support creation of a Growing Spaces greenhouse for STEM education.
Crook County School District
$6,225
This grant will support the school district’s benchmark assessments through the use of the Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) system.
Crook County School District
$14,660
This grant will help provide Lego® Mindstorm kits, solar car challenge kits, windfarm kits, and additional hardware and software to support STEM and literacy in the school district.
Crooked River Watershed Council
$22,300
This grant will support local participation in the Oregon State Career Technical Education (CTE) program, helping students realize professional development opportunities in Technology, Agriculture, Culinary Arts, Business/Marketing and Mechanics, and Natural Resources Management.
High Desert Museum
$5,000
This grant will support art and landscape design projects for Crook County High School students, fostering a passion for the arts, connecting them to their community, and challenging them to explore innovative approaches to the arts.
Stepping Stones
$3,500
This grant will help combat generational poverty by providing access to technology, after-school programs, financial education, and more to thousands of low-income families, veterans, refugees, seniors and people with disabilities. The local program will focus on senior residents at Ochoco Manor in Prineville.
Prineville Kiwanis Foundation
$25,000
This grant will help support construction of a community splash park.
facebook.com/prinevilledatacenter
