Microsoft invests in local programs that benefit people of all ages. In Atlanta, 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 has made in Atlanta neighborhoods near our datacenter operations.
Skills for jobs
Microsoft believes everyone should have access to the skills, technology, and opportunity they need to succeed in a changing economy.
Atlanta Technical College Foundation provides support to Atlanta Technical College and the programs and activities carried out by the College. Its purpose is to acquire, retain, invest, and administer funds exclusively for the benefit of Atlanta Technical College. Since its inception, the Atlanta Technical College Foundation has focused on the major goals of resource development, relationship building, and financial management of resources.
- Datacenter Academy Scholarship program 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.
- Datacenter Lab Supplies project helped the Atlanta Technical College to establish a Microsoft Datacenter Academy program on the community college campus. As the lab was built, this grant supported the purchase of supplies needed to equip the lab. Now the students in the classroom have access to current technology equipment utilized in datacenters.
Educate the City provides quality education and support to young scholars, regardless of their background or circumstances. Through its programs, it aims to foster a love for learning, encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and provide support and guidance to help students reach their full potential. It is committed to equipping young scholars with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to thrive academically and holistically.
- East Point STEAM Labs at Parks and Rec provides opportunities for students to question the world they live in, research ways to improve it, present their findings, and reflect on the process. The power of STEAM unifies disciplines in a seamless way by purposefully making use of scientific, technological, engineering, and design methods as needed to support our world in the Information Age. In alignment with Educate the City’s goal of increasing community impact through cutting-edge programming, the addition of research-based software and innovative hardware allows it to provide rich and robust programs that foster the skills of the 21st-century learner.
Fulton Education Foundation believes that strong schools are the bedrock of thriving communities. Its vision is that all Fulton County students are prepared for a productive, fulfilling life after high school including entering the workforce, college, military, or technical training. The Fulton Education Foundation mission is to expand opportunities for children attending public schools in Fulton County, Georgia through partnerships and funding that benefit the programs of Fulton County public schools.
- LEAP Summer Camp for High School Students addresses learning loss for public school children in Fulton County by providing hands-on skill training and opportunities to explore career paths in the vitally important supply chain industry. The Logistics Education and Pathways (LEAP) enrichment program serves the neediest public school children and occurs in a two-week summer day-camp environment. The implementing partner is Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute. Skill training entails sectors of the supply chain, logistics, and warehousing industries in the Metro Atlanta area, and includes professional “soft skills” development such as job interviewing and conflict resolution.
West Georgia Technical College Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 1988 to encourage, solicit, receive, and administer gifts and bequests of property and funds for the benefit of the college and its students. Partnerships and gifts enable the foundation to support the best possible learning environment for the students.
- Datacenter Academy Scholarship program 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.
Tech Impact works to change lives, organizations, and the world.
- Digital Transformation Initiative – Cohort (Atlanta) provides education to each cohort to provide benefits of the Microsoft Cloud in relation to the organizations’ productivity and security goals and align digital transformation to the mission and impact goals of each organization. The education can be delivered through in-person workshops or online webinars and followed up with on-demand session recordings. Select cohort participants have the opportunity to participate in TechCheck consultations with Tech Impact. The TechCheck will assess the organization’s current technology, security, and governance and produce recommendations to close any gaps that the assessment exposes. Recommendations will include projects with associated budget.
Douglas County Education Foundation has been raising money from local businesses, individuals including school system staff, and regional foundations since its establishment in 1993. Its mission is to generate, monitor, and dispense funds; provide financial support to programs for enrichment; and encourage, recognize, and reward excellence in the students and staff of the Douglas County School System. The Foundation fulfills its mission by raising money for graduating high school seniors, Classroom Impact Grants, occasional restricted grants, and honorariums.
- Classroom Impact Grants are awarded by the Douglas County Education Foundation to support the K-12 school system. Teachers apply to the foundation for the impact grants to fund a specific project, program, or purchase. Grants allow teachers in the K-12 system in Douglas County to enhance educational programs with these additional resources. Many teachers fund special projects themselves due to limited funding for extras. Examples of impact grants: STEM kits, field trip, art projects for special occasions, robotics club fees, and lab supplies.
Fulton Education Foundation believes that strong schools are the bedrock of thriving communities. Its vision is that all Fulton County students are prepared for a productive, fulfilling life after high school including entering the workforce, college, military, or technical training. The Fulton Education Foundation mission is to expand opportunities for children attending public schools in Fulton County, Georgia through partnerships and funding that benefit the programs of Fulton County public schools.
- East Point Coding camps support students who are interested in coding, robotics, cybersecurity, and drones. Classes are held at East Point Library and offered to local residents. The grant also supported STEM kits for Creekside High School and Middle School in Palmetto, Georgia
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.
The Conservation Fund is in the business of conservation, creating innovative solutions that drive nature-based action for climate protection, sustainable economies, and vibrant communities.
- Atlanta: Flint River Headwaters Nature Preserve Park project will permanently protect, restore, and activate seven acres as the Flint River Headwaters Nature Preserve (FRHNP). The Conservation Fund is working in partnership with the City of College Park to restore this section of river, while also reconnecting the community to the river they’ve all but forgotten. The selected property is in a highly urbanized community and is the first place the river sees daylight. Improvements include stream and wetland restoration, as well as new boardwalks, gathering spaces, educational signage, shade trees, and other community amenities. The project also serves as a demonstration for catalyzing implementation of the broader Finding the Flint vision that seeks to a create a healthier river and an improved quality of life for multiple Aerotropolis communities. With regional planning and creative design, the FRHNP can provide the centerpiece for investing in sustainable development.
Trees Atlanta protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating. Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta works to mitigate Atlanta’s tree loss, protect its forests, and increase its tree canopy. Empowered by a community of volunteers, Trees Atlanta serves the metro Atlanta area and has grown to become one of Atlanta’s most widely known and supported non-profit organizations.
- The East Point Mile Trail Project partners Trees Atlanta with the Parks and Recreation department in East Point for areas to target for invasive removal. The East Point Mile Trail, located along the Atlanta PATHs project, serves East Point residents. This trail is being overgrown with invasive species, like kudzu and other non-native plants. Other projects along the trail include planting native trees and other options for canopy enhancements to the trail.
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.
Atlanta Community Food Bank fights hunger by engaging, educating, and empowering the community. It works with more than 700 community-based partners—including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, shelters, and senior centers—to distribute an average of 9.7 million pounds of food each month, or approximately 8 million+ meals to its neighbors who are food insecure in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia. It is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity.
- Food Pantry program support provides eight mobile food pantries and food donations targeting areas in East Point, South Fulton, Douglasville, and Palmetto, Georgia to support those individuals dealing with food insecurity.
ChangeX International helps to create thriving communities everywhere by democratizing change, ensuring proven innovations and finance are accessible to everyone, everywhere. ChangeX is a community engagement platform that, with Microsoft’s support, has funded more than 500 groups in communities across Europe and the United States since 2015. Funds are repeated often throughout the years.
- ChangeX Atlanta Community Challenge makes financing, resources, and support available to those who are interested in starting a proven idea, across the themes of community environment and community tech skills, with the aim of strengthening their local community. It focuses on community or school gardens, revitalization projects, and STEM labs or workshops. Key goals are to launch new local projects in the region around environmental sustainability, digital skills, and community prosperity, contributing to more sustainable, livable, and inclusive communities.
Shining Light Foundation works with organizations, groups, and members within marginalized communities to bring forth solutions that will positively impact, heal, and educate these communities for years to come. It brings resources to communities that historically have been neglected by the lack of both short and long-term investments, opportunities, and vision. The Foundation acts as a conduit for change by soliciting community, governmental, and private entities to collaborate in addressing the concerns of these communities.
- East Point Black History Month Mural project worked with the East Point community to create an African American street mural that was unveiled during Black History Month. The mural is located in the community and has a historical reference to the area.
- ATL Black History Month Mural Project painted 28 murals representing the 28 days in Black History Month. The Foundation collaborated with schools to have the students write book reports on the 84 figures and attached the reports to the murals using a QR code, allowing people to acquire information about the figures featured in the murals.