Meta is now accepting applications for the 2026 Data Center Community Action Grants program, which provides direct funding to schools, nonprofits, and community organizations in areas where Meta builds its data centers. This initiative, part of Meta’s long-term commitment to community development since 2011, also supports the White House AI Youth Education Pledge. This year, the program is expanding to include seven new communities: Aiken, South Carolina; Bowling Green, Ohio; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Jeffersonville, Indiana; Montgomery, Alabama; Richland Parish, Louisiana; and Rosemount, Minnesota. Applications are open through November 21, 2025. To date, Meta has contributed more than $74 million to data center communities worldwide, with $24 million specifically allocated through the Data Center Community Action Grants. The funds support projects that advance technology for public good, strengthen local organizations, and enhance science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education. Grantees can reapply annually, enabling many projects to receive sustained funding and create lasting impact. Recent winners have used their grants to drive meaningful change in their communities. In DeKalb, Illinois, the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Foundation received a 2025 grant to expand its summer STEM programs. This marks the third time NIU has been awarded through the program. The funding helped launch the Huskie Engineering camps, which offer hands-on learning in sensors, data, and AI to middle and high school students. Over 65 middle schoolers have completed sensor-related coursework, and 40 have taken classes in data and AI. The grant also supported the creation of the STEAM Studio, which provides afterschool programs, college preparation, and workforce development opportunities. In Los Lunas, New Mexico, where Meta has invested over $2.5 billion in data center infrastructure, Belen Consolidated Schools received its sixth consecutive grant. The funding helped establish a new STEM Center at Belen Middle School, equipping students with access to drones, snap circuits, coding kits, tablets, and 3D printing technology to explore modern STEM fields. In Fort Worth, Texas, home to Meta’s first data center in the state, the Maroon 9 Community Enrichment Organization was awarded a 2024 grant to run a STEM digital media technology camp for at-risk youth. The program teaches animation, digital art, design, and media production with a focus on social impact. The organization noted that the grant helped show young people that innovation can be a path away from violence and toward empowerment. For more information or to apply, visit the official Meta Data Center Community Action Grants program page.