The nonprofit 7×24 Exchange International is working to cast data centers as “mission‑critical” infrastructure. As part of that effort the group has produced a children’s picture book titled “What is a Data Center?” that follows a honey badger named Honey on a tour of a data center led by a worker named Oliver. Oliver tells Honey that the staff’s job is to keep the “functions supported by the data center” available to anyone, at any hour. “Like when my mom shops online late at night because my dad is sleeping and won’t know about it?” Honey asks.
The story is one piece of a larger outreach strategy that the data‑center industry is deploying alongside lobbying, job‑creation programs and tax‑incentive campaigns. As opposition to large, energy‑intensive data‑center campuses grows, companies and trade groups are turning to a softer, school‑focused approach.
Alex Molnar, a research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and director of the National Education Policy Center, told WIRED that for more than a hundred years industries with a public‑relations problem—such as fast food, tobacco, oil and gas—have taken their messaging into classrooms. “A very, very big reason why corporations get involved in the schools is, quite simply, corporate propaganda—for the purpose not necessarily of selling a product, but of telling their ‘story,’” Molnar said.
In May, the Potomac chapter of the Association for Computer Operations Management (AFCOM) handed out Memorial Day‑themed flag‑making kits to 3,100 first‑graders in 37 schools across Loudoun County, Virginia, an area known as Data Center Alley. Each kit included a card with statistics about the “positive impact” the data‑center sector has on the local economy.
7×24 Exchange also created an observance called “International Data Center Day,” which it describes as a way to raise awareness of the industry and inspire the next generation of talent. The nonprofit asks schools to adopt the holiday and supplies resources tailored to different age groups. High schools receive a crossword puzzle and information about data‑center training programs, while elementary schools get coloring pages, instructions for an evaporation‑themed science experiment, and printable activities such as “Draw a picture of the cloud” and “Draw a data superhero.” The organization also promotes several children’s books that feature data‑center visits, including a story about two sisters who meet a robot named JB, a tale of two brothers who explore a “vibrant digital world” and save the internet, and “Polly Packet’s Precious Payload,” in which a mother teaches her daughter about data centers.
The group has organized at least half a dozen K‑12 events across the country this year. In Minnesota, it escorted Fridley High School students to a Cummins diesel‑power generation plant to learn about the generators that supply electricity to data centers worldwide. Neither 7×24 Exchange, Cummins nor Fridley High responded to WIRED’s request for comment.
7×24 Exchange is not alone in sponsoring school‑friendly data‑center activities. WIRED’s review of public blogs and social‑media posts found that since 2025 at least eleven companies and industry groups have hosted student field trips to local data centers. Sabey, which operates seven U.S. data centers, arranged visits for Eastmont High School in May, for Manson School District students in January, and for Quincy High School in October. A blog post from Manson showed an image labeled “AI‑generated content” that featured adults and students with missing limbs, and described how participants learned about the role of data centers in storing, processing and protecting information, as well as the variety of career paths available.
Jessica Blancas, communications coordinator for Quincy School District, said the district has organized data‑center tours for many years at facilities belonging to Microsoft, Vantage, Yahoo and Sabey. She called Sabey a “long‑standing” partner that regularly provides guest speakers, mock interviews and internship opportunities. The district has also arranged all‑girls visits to Sabey and tours aimed at students interested in construction or engineering. Neither Manson School District nor Sabey responded to requests for comment.
Amazon hosted a field trip in February at its Arlington, Virginia “Skills Center,” a free community space meant for anyone curious about cloud computing and future job possibilities. The event was open to all high schools in the Washington, D.C., metro area, but only Jackson‑Reed High School sent a group.
Molnar expressed skepticism about the appeal to children. “Why would a third grader be interested in a …”