Facebook Prineville announces community grants

Facebook on Wednesday announced the 22 recipients of Facebook Prineville Data Center’s 2015 Local Community Action Grants.

“These outstanding nonprofits and schools were awarded a total of $100,000 to support projects that put the power of technology to use for community benefit, help improve education at all levels, and bring people together either physically or virtually,” the company said.

“Since 2011, Facebook has donated over $1 million to Crook County schools and
qualified nonprofits through its Community Action Grants program and local
donations, including the support of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics) education.

Here’s this year’s list:

Advantage Smiles for Kids – $3,000
To provide orthodontic treatment
for low-income, at-risk children in
Crook County. Brace Place of Central
Oregon will match the award as in-kind
treatment.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Crook
County – $2,520
To hire a local web designer to update
website, making it a user-friendly tool
for volunteers, families and children.
Central Oregon Trail Alliance

(COTA) – $7,500
To assist in the construction of the
new Prineville Bike Park, and obtain
additional grants from other sources.

Christmas in the Pines – $5,000
For further enhancement of the
lighting and speaker systems of this
well-attended local holiday event.

Crook County 4-H – $3,000
For purchase of tablets and accessories,
which will enable 4-H youth to access
educational resources, fulfill record
keeping requirements and more.

Crook County Chamber of
Commerce – $7,500
Funding to help put on the 4th of
July celebration and to develop a
new website that highlights regional
attractions in order increase tourism.
Crook County Foundation – $5,000
To help hire performers and bands
so the annual Picnic in the Park
celebration can remain free to
the public.

Crook County High School – $2,500
To pay for a venue for the alcohol and
drug-free 2015 High School Senior All
Night Party. Students and parents raise
all funds for this celebration; the Crook
County School District does not fund
this event.

Crook County High School (Computer
Science Class) – $2,000
For purchase of 30 licenses so students
can access and utilize the self-paced
CODE HS program for the 2015/2016
school year.

Crook County High School (Science
Department) – $10,000
To purchase the equipment needed
to add both a conceptual chemistry
course and offer yearly physics classes.

Crook County Historical Society –
$2,621
Funding to assist in digitizing the
Crook County Journal from 1901
through 1921 so Crook County can
participate in the Oregon Historic
Newspapers program.

Crook County School District (Special
Education) – $4,000
To purchase the assistive technology
needed to help special education
students learn alongside their nondisabled
peers.

Crooked River Roundup – $5,000
To provide funding for national-level
rodeo acts and athletes, improve
grandstand seating, and make
electrical upgrades.

Healthy Beginnings – $1,500
For support of 2 health and
developmental screening clinics for
Crook County children ages 1 to 5 years.

Heart of Oregon Corps, Inc. – $9,000
To help fund 4 crews of local youth for
8 weeks of summer employment. In
the field, youth build their skills while
building trails, preventing wildfires and
connecting with their public lands.

Humane Society of the Ochocos –
$5,000
Funding for security and floodlights
at the shelter and Humane Society
Animal Shelter.

Oregon Mayors Association – $2,700
To help fund the “If I Were Mayor”
contest, which includes elementary,
middle and high school students.

Prineville Honey Bee Haven – $5,000
To help create and launch the new
Prineville Honey Bee Haven garden,
a community resource that will offer
learning opportunities to children of
all ages.

Redemption House – $3,500
For purchase and installation of
a security system for Redemption
House, the only shelter for women and
children in Crook County.

Rimrock Trails Adolescent Treatment
Services – $8,659
To assist in purchasing 4 smart TVs
for use in conference and group
therapy rooms.

Soroptimist International of Prineville
Charitable Trust (Prineville Senior
Center) – Donation of 3 computers for
guests to use for research, Internet
browsing, and to connect better with
family and friends.

Younity (formerly Serendipity West
Foundation) – $5,000
For funding of bullying prevention
programming in Crook County Middle
School and Powell Butte Charter
School.