WVC Grants Office

Critical Environments for Data Center Operations Project

About the Grant

In September 2024, Wenatchee Valley College was awarded a three-year, $349,995 Advanced Technological Education grant from the National Science Foundationto support aCritical Environments for Data Center Operations project.

The grant funding will be used to equip students with the technical skills, competencies, and hands-on experience required for successful employment in the data center industry. The CEDCO project is designed to help address a skilled labor shortage by using industry guidance to modify the existing WVC ESRT program so that students will have the skills needed for successful data center employment.

In addition to curriculum updates, the CEDCO project will focus on three key objectives:  recruiting students from underrepresented and rural populations, developing K-12 educational pathways into CEDCO, and expanding and training current full- and part-time faculty in data center facilities and related topics. The project will also develop partnerships with local employers to provide students with hands-on experience and internship opportunities, enhancing their readiness for the workforce.

Project Objectives and Goals

1. Develop curriculum that meets the demands for critical environments for data center operations and facilities. 

2. Expand outreach activities to recruit students from high schools, local college students, underrepresented, and rural populations. 

3. Develop K-12/STEM pathways into the Data Center profession. 

4. Build internal capacity at WVC to expand and train faculty in data center facilities and related topics. 

5. Build a Data Centers Operation working simulation lab. 

 

Contact

Professor Greg Jourdan, Lead PI
Phone: 509-682-6637
Email: gjourdan@wvc.edu