Los Lunas Data Center issues grants

The Los Lunas Data Center has announced that 15 local nonprofits and schools will receive Facebook Community Action Grants.

The grants program was created to address needs in Valencia County by putting the power of technology to use for community benefit, connecting people online or off, and improving STEM education.

The 2021 Facebook Los Lunas Data Center Community Action Grants recipients are:

■ All for Animals — $22,820. The grant will support upgraded field technology for Valencia County animal control officers.

■ Belen Public Library

— $9,900. The grant will fund virtual and hybrid programming to support use of technology for education, career readiness and daily life in the digital world.

■ CASA Partners 4NMKids — $10,000. The grant will support Chromebooks that will be accessible to volunteers and CASA foster children.

■ Community Wellness Council — $10,000. The grant will support the Council’s Resource Connector, a program designed to use technology to address community mental health issues by connecting users to resources.

■ Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum of Albuquerque — $7,500. The grant will support Explora’s Community Science program, providing underserved and diverse pre-K to 8th grade Valencia County students with experiential STEAM learning with the goal of encouraging minority student participation and representation.

■ Gil Sanchez Elementary School — $20,660. The grant will support Swivl smart cameras to boost engagement for students and a flipped classroom concept, allowing for more targeted interaction with teachers.

■ Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails — $10,000. The grant will support virtual and in-person STEM programs that provide opportunities for exploration in science to 100 girls of all ages in Valencia County.

■ NM MESA — $10,000. The grant will support the organization’s goal to bridge the digital divide by creating a video campaign series to train students and teachers in digital media skills.

■ Rural Education Advancement Program — $30,000. The grant will provide programs to motivate students to pursue college degrees and careers in STEM fields while offering educators the professional development and support needed to confidently lead this type of specialized STEM program.

■ School of Dreams Academy Education Foundation — $39,737. The grant will create a STEM research hub to help provide equitable opportunities for all student populations to complete STEM research and become innovative, forwardthinking game-changers in the community.

■ T-N-T Boxing and Mentoring Club — $12,273. The grant will further support the computer lab for tutoring and homework assistance, classes and programming, and to provide a safe place to do homework and connect with mentors, coaches and community partners.

■ United Way of Central New Mexico — $6,000. The grant will support teacher mentors, video interviews with employers, employer video partnerships, and increased teacher and employer connections. This will also help scale the 2020 Student Career Video Challenge.

■ Valencia Literacy — $10,000. The grant will help create virtual platforms that can be utilized by students on their smartphones or other devices. This grant will also use technology to allow literacy tutors to assist parents in becoming their children’s first and most important teachers.

■ Valencia Shelter Services — $10,300. The grant will help to implement workshops for clients and educate them on how to interact with the services available to assist with their needs, such as public networks and access to a laptop.

■ Wilderwood Equine Therapy and Rescue — $1,100. The grant will help autistic teens and adults live strong, independent lives and will offer a nine-month curriculum with focus on STEM careers.