Duke Energy commits nearly $265,000 to support dynamic education initiatives across Greater Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is investing in Greater Cincinnati students, educators and communities by awarding $264,138 in grants to 21 education programs.

The grants, which the company announced today at Cincinnati Public Schools' Education Center, support energy, engineering and environmental education programs to equip students with the skills needed for successful careers in the energy sector. They also aim to close the achievement gap that often separates low-income students from their peers by funding programs that prevent summer reading loss.

"We're funding important initiatives that allow students to explore a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields," said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky. "We're also backing impressive and exciting programs that provide the resources and tools underserved children need to blossom into tomorrow's leaders."

The education grants announced today are administered through the Duke Energy Foundation, which is focused on building powerful communities where nature and wildlife thrive, students can excel and a talented workforce drives economic prosperity for all.

Duke Energy and its Foundation, through various community investment vehicles, provided more than $2.9 million in support of Greater Cincinnati initiatives in 2018. In addition, the company's employees and retirees contributed more than $1.2 million to area nonprofits, including United Way and ArtsWave, last year.

Here are the grants announced earlier today:

• Adventure Crew
  $13,000 for environmental education and empowerment through outdoor adventure
    

• Boone County School District
  $10,000 for student energy teams and STEM clubs
         

• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
  $7,500 for Summer Passport to Encourage Reading program
         

• Cincinnati Early Learning Centers, Inc.
  $12,000 to support early literacy and kindergarten readiness
         

• Cincinnati Museum Center
  $10,000 to stimulate interest in STEM and promote learning about energy, the environment and engineering
          

• Cincinnati Public Schools
  $19,738 for July Read and Ride literacy enrichment program
         

• Contemporary Arts Center
  $5,000 for CAC Makerspace sessions for participants to explore engineering, tech, science and art methods
        

• Covington Partners in Prevention
  $5,000 for summer youth program to eliminate learning loss for Covington students
         

• Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati
  $9,000 for summer tutoring to address summer slide in math and reading
        

• Imago, Inc.
  $14,400 to expand environmental education program to CPS' Academy of World Languages
         

• iSPACE Inc.
  $12,000 to provide hands-on STEM learning opportunities to students from low-income areas
         

• Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati
  $10,000 to sustain and grow reading programs for economically disadvantaged students
           

• Miami University
  $10,000 for student case study competition focused on critical issues in the energy industry
        

• Northern Kentucky Education Council Inc.
  $15,000 to help struggling young students with the support they need to be successful in reading and math
          

• Northern Kentucky University Foundation Inc.
  $32,000 for teachers to participate in high-quality, classroom-embedded professional development in STEM subjects
         

• Ohio River Foundation
  $10,000 for hands-on programs that allow students to learn about river ecology, pollution and habitat protection
            

• Partnership for Innovation in Education
  $20,000 for immersion learning labs that provide hands-on STEM education and experiences for underserved students
        

• The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
  $15,000 for Summer Adventure program to help children prevent summer learning loss
          

• Teach for America
  $10,000 to increase the number of STEM teachers in Greater Cincinnati schools as well as strengthening their impacts on students
           

• Thomas More University
  $14,500 for high school students to attend an immersive weeklong camp that provides hands-on activities in STEM and other topics
              

• University of Cincinnati Foundation
  $10,000 to support gardening and 3D-printing clubs for middle schoolers to explore STEM topics and future careers

Later this year, Duke Energy will announce the Greater Cincinnati recipients of its workforce, Urban Revitalization and nature grants.

Duke Energy Foundation and Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts, and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to about 860,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to approximately 538,000 customers.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 125 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2018 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.   

Contact: Lee Freedman
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy

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