Zoom’s four social impact focus areas include helping young people and students achieve success, which is one of Zoom’s main areas of focus. By applying an equity lens to ensure our efforts reach the most underserved communities across the country, we are able to deploy our people, products, and resources to improve youth education, mental health, and life outcomes.

Based on the research we have conducted thus far, we are able to state that play is a very important part of a child’s mental, physical, and developmental development. As the effects of the pandemic have become increasingly evident over the past few years – increasing pressure on children and their families – this has become even more important in the light of school and home lives being transformed by the epidemic.

It is for this reason that we are thrilled to have partnered with KABOOM! ,

A new playground has been built at McCurdy Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with the help of the nonprofit organization Beyond Playspace Inequity, which aims to end playground inequity. Several years ago, the original playspace at McCurdy Park was destroyed by arson, so Stone Mountain mayor Beverly Jones has made it one of her top priorities to revitalize the space and make sure that there is a seamless connection between the various parts of the community.

Making an impactful community contribution

A grant to support KABOOM! was announced by Zoom’s sales leadership team at this year’s Growth Summit. We were able to put a playground project in motion thanks to Zoom Cares, our social impact arm, which partnered with us to make it a reality.

The concept of giving back to the community has been ingrained in Zoom employees for many years now, and this felt like a meaningful collective gift on behalf of our entire team, “ said Michelle Dotson, Zoom’s Head of Go-To-Market Enablement & Strategy. It is our pleasure to partner with KABOOM! In this way, we are able to contribute to the development of young lives in a community where our contribution will have a tangible impact on the lives of young people.”

The school leaders and the representatives of the local municipality met with Zoom in August to come up with a design for the playspace. It was with great pleasure that Stone Mountain Elementary students shared drawings of their dream play spaces with the project organizers, so that they could be incorporated into the final design of the playground. In addition to community members and parents of children who shared drawings with us, members of the local community also played an important part in the design process.

It was an overwhelming experience for more than 70 Zoomies from the Atlanta area, as well as volunteers from Stone Mountain, to come together on Nov. 17 to put together a state-of-the-art playground for the community. The Zoom team also donated Zoom Meeting licenses to the elementary school, as well as funding the build via a charitable donation, to ensure the staff and teachers at the school could use Zoom Meetings throughout the year.

As part of KABOOM! ‘s nationwide campaign, this project is being implemented throughout the country. Playspace inequity needs to be addressed in order to end it. It is a fact of life that not all children have access to places to play. As a result of the lack of adequate spaces for play in many communities of color, children are unable to fully experience the benefits played can have on their physical, social, and emotional health.

“With the addition of McCurdy Park’s playground, Stone Mountain children will have the opportunity to interact and form new friendships, as well as learning through play in a fun and engaging environment, while developing key social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills,” stated Beverly Jones, the mayor of Stone Mountain.

The partnership between Stone Mountain Elementary School and Kaboom and Zoom is really exciting to us, as Char-Shenda Covington, the principal of the school, expressed her excitement about the partnership between her school and Kaboom and Zoom. In the midst of all of this, our community deserves a beacon of light. As both a way to kick off the fall and as a way to build a legacy through our scholars, we feel extremely lucky and grateful to be able to provide a safe, warm, and inclusive playground for our scholars. The school is committed to the development of the whole child, both inside and outside of the classroom.”

It was an honor for Zoom to be part of such an amazing project and we are grateful for the opportunity. Our thanks go out to the Mayor Jones, Principal Covington, Stone Mountain Councilmember Gil Freeman, the KABOOM! team, and all the volunteers! I would like to thank everyone on the Zoomies team for their efforts and all those who contributed their time in the process. I truly hope that this will be a place where underserved kids can spark joy and feel a sense of belonging for years to come!

To know more

Here at Zoom, we are committed to caring for our employees, of our customers, of our teammates, of our communities, and of ourselves. As a company, we believe there is an immediate and lasting impact that every company has on the world, and we work diligently to make our impact as positive and effective as possible. With Zoom Cares, we strive to create a society that is more just for people and for the environment we all live on.

FAQs