CHARLOTTE,
N.C., June 14,
2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is continuing its
commitment to students and the workforce of the future by investing
$2.7 million in more than 70
education and training initiatives across North Carolina.
The 2017 grants, from the Duke
Energy Foundation, will enhance educational programs focused on
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), childhood reading
proficiency and workforce development.
"Our goal is to build a brighter future for the
communities we're fortunate to serve," said David Fountain, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "That begins with
smart investments in the people who will successfully move our
industry, workforce and state forward."
Examples of this year's grant recipients
include:
- Enable America VetConnect, Eastern NC,
to provide disabled veterans, wounded warriors and spouses
with job-seeking training and support.
"Duke Energy's steadfast support of our transitioning
military families and disabled veterans continues to make our
mission a reality in the lives of many," said Richard Salem, chairman and CEO of Enable
America's VetConnect program. "We are proud to be a Duke Energy
partner, working side by side in providing 'hands on' employment
assistance programs; truly, 'good things happen when people have
jobs.'"
- Winston Salem Foundation – Project Impact,
Forsyth County,
to help accelerate the reading performance of at-risk first
graders.
"Thanks to Duke Energy's support of Project Impact and
Early Steps, we will significantly expand our reach next year –
multiplying the impact of a program that builds reading skills in
our district's highest-need first graders," said Cynthia Barber, reading interventionist
coordinator.
- NC Agricultural and Technical
State University, Guilford
County, to support the Helping Orient
Minorities to Engineering (HOME) program that attracts and retains
minority students in engineering and computer science.
"Duke Energy's support of the HOME Program enables us to
attract, retain and educate more high-achieving students in
Engineering and Computer Science and to develop the engineering
leaders of tomorrow," said North Carolina A&T College of
Engineering Dean Robin Coger. "We're very grateful to have Duke
Energy as a partner in this work, which is not only important for
our students, but critical for the future of our state and
nation."
- Richmond Community College
Foundation, Richmond and
Scotland County,
to expand the curriculum for the Electric Utility Substation
and Relay Technology program and help build a skilled workforce for
the energy industry.
"When Richmond Community
College recognized the power industry's need to train the
next generation of utility workers to replace those approaching
retirement age, Duke Energy was on board to help us establish a
program that would meet a demand and offer our students an
opportunity for high skill, high wage jobs," said Dr. Dale McInnis, Richmond
Community College president. "Duke Energy has been a key
partner in the establishment, growth and success of our Electric
Utility Substation and Relay Technology program, which is unlike
any other two-year associate degree program in the
country."
- Read and Feed, Wake
County, to support a mobile, after-school
literacy program for low-income elementary school children in
Raleigh's highest needs
communities.
"We are grateful to Duke Energy for their support of Read
and Feed and our mission to build children's confidence and
competence with individualized tutoring," said Kati Mullan, executive director, Read and
Feed. "Their grant will allow us to implement tablets and
digital learning into our program curriculum this Fall, which will
be an exciting and interactive tool for our children and
volunteers."
Click here for a full list of 2017 Duke
Energy Foundation North Carolina grant recipients.
About The Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to
address the needs of the communities where its customers live and
work. The foundation provides
more than $30 million annually
in charitable gifts. The foundation's education focus
spans kindergarten to career, particularly science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy and workforce
development. It also supports the environment and community impact
initiatives, including arts and culture.
Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to
their communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of
nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on
its legacy of community service. For more
information,
visit http://www.duke-energy.com/foundation.
Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about
the company is available at
duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center
serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features
news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke
Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about people, innovations, and community
and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and
insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on
Twitter,
LinkedIn, Instagram
and Facebook.
Contact: Grace
Rountree
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_GraceR
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SOURCE Duke Energy