04/27/2026
Last week, we celebrated our 2026 Meta Data Center Community Action Grant recipients at the Altoona Data Center! It was a true joy to bring together this year’s grant recipients, community partners, Meta team members, and local leaders!
Through our Data Center Community Action Grants program, Meta provides funding for nonprofits and schools - addressing critical community needs by putting technology to use for community benefit, enabling people to build strong, sustainable communities, improving local STEAM education - to support the long-term vitality of East Polk County. Learn more about this year’s projects:
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District: To equip teachers with AI resources, Bondurant-Farrar CSD partners with the Science Center of Iowa for tailored professional development and classroom materials.
Bondurant-Farrar Morris Elementary: To boost literacy and STEM, Morris Elementary will provide Yoto audio players and high-quality audiobooks for kindergarten classrooms, supporting independent learning.
Caring Hands Outreach Center: To nourish at-risk youth, Caring Hands Outreach Center will provide free meals during HERD Round Up Nights, supporting restorative diversion programming.
Children and Family Urban Movement: To provide academic enrichment, CFUM’s Awesome Summer Days offers a free 10-week summer program with STEAM and experience-focused activities for youth.
Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa: To inspire future builders and creators, Girl Scout Camp Build introduces middle school girls to skilled trades through hands-on construction and teamwork at camp.
ICON Water Trails: To blend nature and storytelling, ICON’s Water Trails introduces young children to Iowa’s waterways through interactive outdoor experiences and books.
The Iowa Center: To empower small business owners, the Iowa Center provides coaching, lending, and tax services to help Iowans launch and grow businesses in Eastern Polk County.
Iowa Conservation Education Coalition - ICEC: To engage students in conservation, ICEC supports digital game design competitions and educator training, connecting real-world Iowa challenges to STEAM learning.
ISU Extension and Outreach - Polk County: To enable inclusive gardening, four accessible raised brick beds will be rebuilt at the Enabling Garden, supporting volunteers of all abilities.
Living History Farms: To advance STEAM education, Spark! Lab offers hands-on agricultural invention activities for children and families, fostering creativity and problem-solving.
Science Center of Iowa: To create innovation skills, the AI Foundations program brings hands-on AI and machine learning workshops to students and teachers in Southeast Polk and Bondurant-Farrar schools.
Southeast Polk Community School District: To foster student research and innovation, Southeast Polk will support participation in the Iowa State Science + Technology Fair for grades six through 12.
SEP Four Mile Elementary: To empower students, Four Mile Elementary will integrate VR headsets for immersive, hands-on learning experiences across STEAM subjects.
SEP High School: To upgrade classroom computers, Southeast Polk High School will purchase new stations for Project Lead The Way engineering classes, replacing outdated equipment.
SEP Mitchellville Elementary: To enhance STEM education, Mitchellville Elementary will add a laser cutter and VR headsets, expanding access and innovation for all students.
Thank you to all of the community leaders, including City of Altoona Council members and Southeast Polk Community School District Board Members, for joining us to help us celebrate this year’s winners.
