Meta announces $200,000 grant for new Crook County HS student construction program, to help area nonprofits

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) --  Bringing students and the community together was the theme of Tuesday’s big announcement as Meta unveiled a $200,000 construction program grant to benefit Crook County High School and area nonprofit organizations.

The Construction program at CCHS is forming a group called Students Helping Our Community (SHOC). The goal is to partner with area nonprofits and help them with various building and construction projects. Students in the advanced Construction 3 class at CCHS will get started in the fall, when school resumes in September. 

“We love that Meta encourages us to dream big and develop cool ideas that engage our students with the local community. It’s a great opportunity for them to apply what they learn in the classroom in the real world and teach the importance of community service,” said Ryan Cochran, Career & Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator for the Crook County School District. 

The $200,000 grant will help to purchase tools and equipment for the CCHS construction program and provide the local nonprofits with funds for their preferred construction needs.

Phase I includes projects for Horses on the Ranch, MountainStar Family Relief Nursery and the Ochoco Humane Society. Each organization will get $25,000 from the Meta grant. The hope is to include more nonprofits in Phase II of the grant. 

“This is an exciting time for Crook County High School. We know that about 55% of our students will choose to enter the workforce or the trades after graduating,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joel Hoff. “It’s a win-win when we get the opportunity to have our students learn valuable skills and understand what it means to give back to their community. We want to thank Meta for their amazing support and investment in our CTE programs.”

Since its first data center opened in 2010, Meta has donated over $2 million to the Crook County School District to improve Wi-Fi access, upgrade classroom technology and make important investments in Career & Technical Education programs district-wide. 

Community Grant Details:

• Total Grant Award: $200,000
  • $50,000 for CCHS to buy tools and equipment
  • Phase I: $150,000 for construction projects to help local nonprofits
    • Horses on the Ranch - $25,000
    • MountainStar Family Relief Nursery - $25,000
    • Ochoco Humane Society - $25,0000
  • Phase II: $75,000 (projects to be determined)