ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - Over 11,000 students and 380 teachers will benefit from Duke Energy grants totaling $1 million to various public education institutions throughout Florida.
The grants, from the Duke Energy Foundation, encompass both direct-to-student contributions and individual teacher grants to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in Florida's public schools.
"Providing schools with stronger curriculum and hands-on teaching projects excite students and helps prepare them to enter math and engineering career fields," said Alex Glenn, state president, Duke Energy Florida. "Duke Energy is proud to support these local organizations, which are critical to the long-term success of our state in competing globally."
Grants presentations will be made to the following organizations:
Bok Tower Gardens $5,000
Citrus County Education Foundation, Inc. $34,000
Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Inc. $50,000
Dixie County Education Foundation $2,500
Education Foundation of Gulf County, Inc. $15,000
Educational Foundation of Lake County, Inc. $28,000
Foundation for Orange County Public Schools $50,000
Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools (The) $40,000
Futures, Inc. $30,000
Hamilton County Public Schools Foundation, Inc. $15,000
Highlands County Education Foundation, Inc. $10,000
Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay $25,000
Lafayette Penny Foundation $7,500
Levy County Schools Foundation $10,000
Madison County Foundation for Excellence In Education, Inc. $15,000
Orlando Science Center, Inc. $75,000
Pasco Education Foundation, Inc. $50,000
Pinellas County Education Foundation, Inc. $267,222
Polk Education Foundation and Business Partnership $50,000
Public Education Foundation of Marion County $15,000
Sumter Schools Enhancement Foundation, Inc. $5,000
Taylor Education Foundation $9,000
The Education Foundation of Alachua County Inc. $9,500
The Foundation for Osceola Education, Inc. $25,000
University of South Florida St. Petersburg $85,000
Young Men's Christian Association, Inc. STEM programs $25,000
Keystone Science School $72,000
"Duke Energy has consistently been a leading partner with our statewide organization and local education foundations throughout their Florida service territory," said Mary Chance, president of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. "In recent years, we have really raised the bar on student achievement expectations in our state. Duke Energy is providing meaningful support for applied learning opportunities for students a factor that can make all the difference by making learning relevant and engaging."
Last year, Duke Energy and its foundation made more than $4 million in charitable investments in Florida. The company makes significant philanthropic investments in Florida communities supporting programs with a direct community impact, education, environmental and economic and workforce development.
In addition to this giving, Duke Energy employees contribute over $400,000 to charitable causes and volunteer tens of thousands of hours to local charities each year.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida owns coal-fired and natural gas generation providing about 9,000 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.7 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.
With its Florida regional headquarters located in St. Petersburg, Fla., Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with approximately $120 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.3 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com.