bdpatoday® | metaverse

Meta’s Huntsville Data Center announces 2022 Community Action Grants

Huntsville, AL—Meta is thrilled to announce recipients of their 2022 Community Action Grants. Congratulations BDPA Huntsville!

Through their Data Center Community Action Grants program, Meta provides funding for nonprofits and schools to support the long-term vitality of Huntsville. They fund projects that help put the power of technology to use for community benefit, connect people online or off and improve STEM education. Congratulations to the 2022 Huntsville Data Center grant recipients and a big thank you for your impactful work!

2022 Huntsville Data Center Grant Award Recipients

• National BDPA Huntsville Chapter / $18,750
To empower the FLIGHTS program to give students real-world career experiences

• Drake State Community & Technical College / $15,247
To develop STEM learning opportunities with solar robotics kits and an Arduino Rev3 programmable robot

• Huntsville City Schools / $10,000
To support the development of a community STEM garden that connects the community together

• 100 Black Men of Greater Huntsville, Inc. / $5,000
To help put on STEAM events and programs to inspire young people from diverse communities in Huntsville

• Girls Inc. of Huntsville / $15,000
To support Operation Smart program for increasing leadership and improving graduation rates by providing programs for young girls

• The Livin’ Room / $17,870
To provide new computers and projectors for trainings at the community center

• Northwood Community Outreach / $50,000
To equip community coding classes with technology to improve connection for students and residents

• Madison City Schools / $27,000
To provide tablets and enable equitable internet access for students in need

• Village of Promise / $42,243
To equip adults with technology for pursuing GEDs, training for jobs and finding employment

• Discovery Middle School / $1,000
To support the Greenpower Racing Program for inspiring hands-on problem solvers

• CAP & GOWN Project / $15,000
To enable transformative opportunities to pursue college for underserved secondary school students

Data centers are part of the infrastructure that helps us bring WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more to people around the globe. They support Meta’s mission to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.

_{Sources: Meta Platforms, Inc. and BDPA Huntsville}

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***Earth Day Tech Summit 2022 is a virtual event for students, JROTC Units, and young adults.***

REVOLT x AT&T release exclusive lessons learned from years of Summit success

ATLANTA, GA—As we approach the 2021 REVOLT Summit x AT&T in Atlanta, which goes down on Nov. 11-13, we can’t help but take a look back at the success of last year’s event by way of REVOLT x AT&T’s Black Paper study.

The facts are simple. REVOLT and AT&T have always had the secret sauce for leaving an impact on the culture whenever they’ve joined forces and this year’s festivities will be no difference. Last year’s just showed the world what they can do together against the odds. The pandemic didn’t stop a thing over here.

Simply put, we believe that brands should be creating experiences that give the next generation of cultural leaders platforms that speak to their needs and expand possibilities.

In that spirit, the 2020 REVOLT Summit by AT&T provided an opportunity to collect and share insights that we know can advance the collective interests of multicultural consumers, companies and the culture at large.

Whether you’re a thriving tech power, leading lifestyle brand or consumer product giant, moving culture and commerce forward in the changing economy requires investing in immersive experiences that authentically engage and empower Black creators globally. This collaborative case study of last year’s REVOLT Summit x AT&T shares valuable insights for marketers looking to establish impactful global partnerships and create dynamic experiences that expand your audience, build deeper cultural connections, and strengthen your relationship with Black consumers.

The pandemic put an abrupt end to live events and forced many brands to rethink their approach to delivering content, products and experiences in a newly virtual world. So, for the first time ever, REVOLT Summit by AT&T was completely virtual, delivering a more dynamic and expansive scope of programming to an audience.

We know today’s generation wants to be better, smarter and more equipped to achieve their dreams while actively designing a new world. As we reimagined the REVOLT Summit by AT&T for a digital audience, we were challenged with creating a global platform position that authentically captured the spirit, attitude and aspirations of Gen Hip Hop.

Our mobile app even provided users with a full lineup of featured speakers, programs, daily schedules, exclusive content and real-time updates. The platform also featured an in-app store to buy limited products, in addition to an on-demand library to rewatch highlights from previous years. By making the shift to a fully virtual event, we gave attendees the freedom to curate their Summit experience based on their personalized interests.

With REVOLT and AT&T once again collaborating for this year summit, and continuing to push the needle forward, we also want to encourage REVOLT fans to never be afraid of leaving their own mark or creating their very own initiatives that aim to elevate the culture. Climb as high as you can now, so those who come after you can soar.

Learn more. Download our Black Paper study here and we’ll see you at this year’s festivities!

^{— Source and images: REVOLT}

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The Facebook Company rebrands by changing its name to ‘Meta’

MENLO PARK, CA—Thursday during Connect 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta, as an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company, which brings together Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp technologies among others under one new company brand. Meta’s focus will be to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses. Zuckerberg calls the metaverse, “the successor to the mobile internet.”

The metaverse will feel like a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world. It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together — and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world. It’s the next evolution in a long line of social technologies, and it’s ushering in a new chapter for the company.

The annual Connect conference brought together augmented and virtual reality developers, content creators, marketers and others to celebrate the industry’s momentum and growth. This year’s virtual event explored what experiences in the metaverse could feel like over the next decade — from social connection, to entertainment, gaming, fitness, work, education and commerce.

New tools were announced to help people build for the metaverse, including Presence Platform, which will enable new mixed reality experiences on Quest 2, and a $150-million investment in immersive learning to train the next generation of creators.

^{— Source and photo: Meta}

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