Duke Energy Foundation's 'Powerful Communities' program awards over $440,000 for K-12 education grants in Indiana

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Apr 25, 2019, 09:00 ET

PLAINFIELD, Ind., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Any teacher can tell you about the warm glow of satisfaction when a student, after much struggle, finally "gets it." It's an almost magical moment that is not soon forgotten.

The Duke Energy Foundation is enabling more and more of those magical moments in 2019 through $448,250 in grants to more than 30 schools and other educational organizations throughout the company's Indiana service territory.

"Teachers are some of the most dedicated professionals I know, but they need resources to help students learn effectively," said Stan Pinegar, Duke Energy state president for Indiana. "We are proud to award these grants to help keep vital resources flowing into K-12 classrooms and programs."

According to the Indiana Literacy Association, "Approximately 25 percent of Indiana fourth grade students have not mastered minimal reading skills. Fourth grade reading levels are a critical turning point because fourth grade students are no longer learning to read, they must read to learn."

The schools and programs receiving grants this year include many summer reading initiatives, but they also feature a wide variety of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, programs aimed at all age groups. One example is the Indiana 4-H Foundation which will use its grant to help local 4-H clubs give members opportunities in engineering design, computer programming and other STEM-related skills.

Indiana organizations receiving the 2019 K-12 education grants include:

Metropolitan School District of Martinsville	$15,000
North Lawrence Community Schools	$10,000
Salem Community Schools Corporation	$10,000
Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools	$25,100
Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County	$13,500
Milan Community Schools	$15,000
Zionsville Education Foundation	$25,000
Purdue University	$35,000
Bauer Family Resources	$10,000
Crossroads of America Council, BSA	$15,000
Franklin Community Schools	$10,000
Plainfield Community Schools	$ 3,650
Avon Education Foundation, Inc.	$20,000
United Way of Howard County	$20,000
Indiana State University	$80,000
Indiana 4-H Foundation	$15,000
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	$12,500
Vincennes Community School Corporation	$10,000
Metropolitan School District of North Posey County	$10,000
United Way Metro	$10,000
Greater Clark County Schools	$15,000
Crawford County Community School Corporation	$15,000
New Albany / Floyd County Schools	$10,000
Silver Creek Primary	$ 3,500
Westfield Washington Schools	$10,000
United Way of Central Indiana	$ 5,000
North Vermillion Community Schools	$10,000
Ivy Tech Foundation, Inc.	$10,000
National Inventors Hall of Fame	$ 5,000

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 840,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana's largest electric supplier.

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' 2019 "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.

Duke Energy Foundation

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.

Contact: Lew Middleton
Office: 317.838.1505 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy