Amazon in the community: Here’s what’s happening in Arlington, Virginia

Nearly one year after opening the doors to HQ2’s Metropolitan Park, Amazon recaps its community engagement activities and investments in the region.

We are proud to work with nonprofits, schools, and community leaders across the National Capital region to support equity in education, affordable housing development, and regional, inclusive economic growth.

We recently released Amazon’s updated Community Impact Report for the National Capital Region, where we shared details about how we’re delivering for our customers, employees, and the communities where we operate. Success and scale bring broad responsibility and as we continue to grow, we are committed to using our resources to help address important challenges that our hometown communities face.

Amazon’s second headquarters comes to life in 21 photos from the official opening

Join employees, community members, and government officials as they tour the HQ2 offices and amenities that are now open for the neighborhood to enjoy.

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Here are a few highlights of our community engagement efforts and positive impact over the past year:

• We worked with more than 100 nonprofits in and around Arlington, Virginia, which is home to Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2). Our support went to organizations like Bridges to Independence, which is working to break intergenerational cycles of poverty; the English Empowerment Center, which serves nearly 1,500 beginning-level English language and literacy adult learners; and Aspire, which helps historically underserved young people fulfill their potential through afterschool and summer learning programs that support and connect families, schools, and communities.
  
• Amazon was named the top philanthropic company in the Washington, D.C., metro area by the Washington Business Journal. Since 2018, Amazon has invested more than $161 million in local nonprofits, community groups, organizations, businesses, and public schools.
  
• Amazon launched a new housing pilot initiative that will help nearly 1,000 individuals and families from underserved communities become homeowners in Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as Washington state and Tennessee. This is part of a broader set of initiatives from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund. Since 2021, Amazon has committed over $1 billion in loans and grants to create or preserve more than 7,500 affordable housing units in and around the National Capital Region.
  
• Amazon continued to advance its commitment to equity in education through several partnerships and funding efforts, including Amazon Future Engineer, a comprehensive childhood-to-career program aimed at increasing access to computer science education for students from underserved and underrepresented communities. Amazon helped students broaden their horizons through education via:
  
  • $1.8 million in scholarships awarded to 45 Capital Region students by the Amazon Future Engineer program
  • 241 schools and 23,470 students across the Capital Region received STEM education and career exploration courses
  • 13,000+ students have access to three AWS Think Big Spaces in Virginia
• Amazon has continued to support and integrate local businesses into its Arlington headquarters, representing vibrant local favorites, women- and minority-owned retailers, and others. For example, visitors can get their bike serviced at Conte’s Bike Shop, drop off furry friends at doggy daycare at District Dogs, get a workout in at HUSTLE, grab a bite to eat at Peruvian Brothers, and so much more.

Amazon will continue to strive to be a good neighbor and trusted business partner across the region.

Learn more about what we’re doing for our employees, neighbors, and the community.

Read more in our Community Impact Report for the National Capital Region.

The Innovation Studio + Store showcases contemporary art and adds to a growing list of vibrant local retailers at Metropolitan Park.

Amazon is proud to welcome the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) Arlington to HQ2’s Metropolitan Park. The new Innovation Studio + Store is a place for Arlington residents and visitors to learn more about contemporary art, interact with professional artists at work, participate in free public art and artist programs, explore their creativity in private classes, and shop various creative and inspiring products from the museum store.

“Community is at the heart of everything we do here at Amazon. We are honored that the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington is joining HQ2 to enrich the Arlington community by connecting residents and visitors to exhibitions, educational programming, and artist residencies,” said Patrick Phillippi, senior manager of community engagement at Amazon. “This is a great new chapter for all of us who live, work, and play in National Landing.”

“We are thrilled to open our new Innovation Studio + Store at Amazon HQ2,” said Catherine Anchin, MoCA Arlington’s executive director. “We know that contemporary art can feel intimidating to some. This space was intentionally designed to feel warm and inviting, with the hope that people will be inspired to join us for a class, participate in a workshop, or simply support local artists.”

Since coming to National Landing, Amazon has prioritized providing a home for small, local businesses, with a focus on those which are women- and minority-owned. See a full list of local retailers at HQ2’s Met Park.