Understanding how technology shapes communities can be abstract for young learners. Vertiv, Columbus Crew, and COSI make data center infrastructure education tangible through hands-on activities and immersive technology.
When a scoreboard lights up, a payment is processed, or a stream connects fans to their team, a data center works in the background. These facilities power both our daily routines and shared cultural moments. With the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), early talent development becomes more critical than ever. For students, seeing this hidden world can build understanding and curiosity. STEM outreach programs show how the same systems that power their interests also sustain communities and the digital experiences they rely on.
Bringing STEM to life at Lower.com Field
Now in its fourth year, STEM Day is a shared priority for Columbus-based Vertiv and the Columbus Crew, the city’s Major League Soccer team. COSI, Columbus’s renowned Center of Science and Industry, joined in the fun for the second consecutive year.
More than 80 local students played with robots, learned programming basics through COSI’s coding workshops, and discovered how the Crew uses data analytics to optimize player performance and game strategy. Students also learned that the same infrastructure that analyzes a player's sprint speed or tracks ball possession also powers the stadium's digital scoreboards, manages ticketing systems, processes concession payments, and streams live game footage to fans worldwide. By linking the energy of sports with the fundamentals of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM day showed how fans are part of a digital sports ecosystem where several aspects of their game-day experience rely on data center infrastructure.
Experiencing infrastructure through VR
The highlight of this year’s data center infrastructure education was an immersive VR station powered by the Vertiv XR app. Students saw power, cooling, management, and rack systems up close. For many, it was the first introduction to the data centers that power the apps and technologies they use everyday.
Building confidence, sparking opportunity
As Vertiv’s Chief Innovation Officer Greg Ratcliff wrote, “Academic partnerships create space for experimentation. These programs do more than move innovation forward. They give us a clearer view of what’s coming.” The same principle applies at the middle and high school levels. Early exposure to technology demonstrations can spark curiosity that leads to deeper studies and, ultimately, community impact.
Beyond technology, STEM Day gives students from different backgrounds a chance to explore fields that might otherwise feel out of reach. When they work with robotics or VR in real-world settings, they don’t just learn technical skills—they begin to see themselves as contributors to the digital systems around them.
Building the next generation of problem solvers
Technology is only as resilient as the communities it serves. By investing in students’ curiosity and confidence through education, STEM programs strengthen the human foundation of digital infrastructure and and its ecosystem.
Just as cities depend on unseen systems to function, the future depends on young minds. Giving them access today helps communities remain strong for generations.
Dive deeper into how Vertiv and the Columbus Crew bring technology and community together. Explore the Vertiv and Columbus Crew partnership today.