Microsoft invests in local programs that benefit people of all ages. In Ohio, our collaborations are organized by our focus areas of Skills for Jobs, Enabling Sustainability, and Empowering Communities.
The following program list contains a sample of the investments Microsoft makes on an annual basis.
Skills for jobs
Microsoft believes everyone should have access to the skills, technology, and opportunity they need to succeed in a changing economy.
Newark Campus Development Fund strives to strengthen the community by providing access to education for all qualified and motivated individuals and by maintaining and enhancing the level of educational and technological excellence for two great schools: the Ohio State University at Newark and Central Ohio Technical College.
- The Datacenter Academy Scholarship program for students at Central Ohio Technical College provides financial support for those students who come from underrepresented backgrounds, by removing barriers and promoting a diverse workforce. Datacenter Academy Scholarships help pay for the cost of tuition, fees, and certifications for historically underrepresented students enrolled in IT/STEM, promoting the acquisition of skills and certifications for 21st-century employment in a world increasingly reliant on cloud computing big data.
United Way of Licking County works to make life better in more than 1,100 communities worldwide during United Way’s second century of service.
- gener8tor Skills Accelerator supports learners in obtaining high-quality employment in diverse, professional workplaces where the skills they gain from the accelerator can be applied. In alignment with Microsoft, gener8tor Skills focuses on building technical skills to help under- and unemployed individuals who fall under the category of hidden talent such as people of color, women, veterans, and others. The accelerator helps them secure meaningful employment across a variety of sectors (such as technology, insurance, finance, and professional services) in professional, technical, and administrative services roles. The accelerator increases access to technology and supports local employers in their hiring needs as well as their ability to adapt to digital transformation as learners are prepared for digitally enabled jobs at these companies. United Way of Licking County will be the Gener8tor local partner and help Gener8tor identify applicants through United Way’s workforce partnerships.
Enabling sustainability
Climate change requires swift, collective action and technological innovation. We are committed to meeting our own goals while helping communities to do the same.
Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) advances the science, practice, and policy of ecological restoration to sustain biodiversity, improve resilience in a changing climate, and re-establish an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture.
- The Swartz Prairie Wetland Restoration project will restore wetland habitat at the Dawes Arboretum located approximately three miles south of Newark in Licking Township, Licking County, Ohio. Dawes Arboretum is a premier environmental institution in Licking County that hosts school trips from all around the county, and partners with cities on their own restoration projects. The restoration design targets establishment of a shallow emergent marsh plant community transitioning to a fringe of scrub/shrub wetland.
Empowering communities
Microsoft is committed to strengthening communities and empowering the organizations that help them thrive. Whether affected by a recent emergency or decades of challenges, we use data, technology, and strategic investments to restore and support them for future generations.
Licking County Foundation is a public charitable organization made up of a diverse collection of funds given by caring individuals, businesses and organizations that have a common concern for the well-being of the people of Licking County. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for all citizens of Licking County.
- The Livable Licking County Fund is a new fund supporting quality of life initiatives in Licking County. Through a Community Grant, Microsoft will prioritize workforce development and STEM programs in southwest Licking County where its three datacenters are located.
New Albany Community Foundation helps to build an extraordinary community through collaborations that generate resources for transformational investments in lifelong learning, health and wellness, arts and culture, and the environment.
- New Albany STEM Scholarships and Speaker Series prioritizes lifelong learning for youth and adults. The Microsoft Community Grant supports after-school STEM programs for New Albany school district students via foundation scholarships and micro-grants, and also supports bringing a speaker on either digital skills or environmental sustainability to New Albany as part of the foundation’s lecture series.
United Way of Licking County works to make life better in more than 1,100 communities worldwide during United Way’s second century of service.
- United Way Housing Support Program uses funding from the Microsoft Community Empowerment Fund to provide multifaceted support to the unhoused community in Licking County, including hotel vouchers, ID replacement, and rent support, as well as staffing support for strategic planning and coordination between various housing support entities in the county.