The data center industry is using children's stories and school events to promote its image, with 3,100 first graders in Virginia receiving flag-making kits and data center facts. The nonprofit 7x24 Exchange International created a children's story titled 'What is a Data Center?' featuring a honey badger named Honey and a worker named Oliver.
The story is part of a broader strategy by the data center industry to engage with youth and improve its public image. Other industries, such as fast food and tobacco, have used similar tactics by involving schools in their messaging.
In May, the Potomac chapter of AFCOM, a trade group for the data center industry, distributed Memorial Day-themed flag-making kits to first graders in Loudoun County, Virginia. The kits included informational cards about the positive impact of the data center industry on the local economy.
The nonprofit 7x24 Exchange also promotes 'International Data Center Day,' encouraging schools to celebrate the industry with activities like crosswords and coloring pages. The organization has visited or organized at least a half-dozen K-12 events at schools across the country this year.
Sabey, a company that runs seven US data centers, has hosted field trips for high school students, including visits to its facilities. Quincy School District communications coordinator Jessica Blancas noted that the district has organized data center visits for many years, including trips to companies like Microsoft and Sabey.
Alex Molnar, a research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, questioned the appeal of data centers to children. He said that data centers are not exciting and may not be of interest to third graders. The data center industry is following the playbook of other industries that seek to sow goodwill with children and their parents.
Source: wired
