Data Centers Are Now Targeting Your Kids with Field Trips and Storybooks
Your child's school might be teaching them that data centers are heroes—here's why that's controversial.
The data center industry has a public relations problem: as massive, energy-hungry server farms pop up across the country, local communities are pushing back. So the industry is trying a new tactic: winning over kids. A nonprofit called 7x24 Exchange International is promoting a children's book about a honey badger named Honey who tours a data center. They also run "International Data Center Day," offering coloring pages, crossword puzzles, and even a science project about evaporation. In Virginia's "Data Center Alley," a trade group gave out Memorial Day flag kits to 3,100 first graders, along with cards touting the industry's economic benefits.
This isn't happening in isolation. Since 2025, at least eleven companies and industry groups have hosted student field trips to data centers. In Minnesota, high schoolers visited a diesel generator facility to learn about powering data centers. Companies like Sabey have taken high schoolers on tours of their facilities. The goal, according to the industry, is to inspire the next generation of talent and create awareness. But critics see it differently. Alex Molnar, an education policy expert, says industries with image problems—like fast food, tobacco, and oil—have long brought their messaging into schools. "A very, very big reason why corporations get involved in the schools is, quite simply, corporate propaganda," he told WIRED.
The stakes are high because data centers use huge amounts of electricity and water, and they're being built at a rapid pace. As communities raise concerns about energy costs and environmental impact, the industry is trying to shape how the next generation sees them. By presenting data centers as essential and even fun, they hope to create a more welcoming environment for future expansion. Whether it's a honey badger shopping online or a field trip to a generator plant, the message is clear: data centers are your friends. The question is whether schools should be a battleground for that message.
- The data center industry is using children's books, coloring pages, and school field trips to improve its image.
- At least 11 companies and groups have hosted student field trips to data centers since 2025.
- Critics compare this to past corporate campaigns in schools by tobacco and fast food industries.
Why It Matters
Your child's school could become a marketing channel for an industry that wants to shape public opinion.