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Funding supports after-school and summer programs that guide students while improving literacy skills.
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Grants also address the needs for social justice and racial equality in K-12 education.
GREENVILLE, SC – Duke Energy today announced the recipients of $ 375,000 in grants through the Duke Energy Foundation for South Carolina organizations that will fund tutoring and reading programs in underserved and minority communities to address the learning gaps created by the pandemic. .
The funds will also support environmental education programs for Title 1 schools and culturally relevant professional development, particularly with regard to racial equality in education.
The grants were awarded to 46 organizations across South Carolina.
“As the effects of the pandemic on our students and learning environments continue, after-school tutoring programs have become essential to address some of these learning gaps, and existing programs must continue to provide these valuable services,” said Mike Callahan, Duke President of South Carolina at Energy. “My parents were public school teachers, so I am personally proud that Duke Energy continues to support the education efforts of our teachers and students, supporting these critical organizations that help to reduce the learning gaps and other challenges posed by the pandemic. “
This summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pee Dee will use grant funding to offer K-3 students the Raz-Plus Reading Program, a curriculum that seeks to improve vocabulary, language fluency and reading comprehension among the participants.
“Boys & Girls Clubs remain committed to the social and emotional well-being of their members and assist them in their academic journey,” said Neal L. Zimmerman, Jr., executive director of Pee Dee’s Boys & Girls Clubs. “This generous donation will help us continue our focus on improving member education this summer, through the implementation of a proven reading curriculum taught by qualified instructors. This will help many members to overcome the reading loss that occurred during the pandemic. “
In addition to addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19, many of these grants help to create or maintain programs that address the needs of social justice and racial equality in the K-12 education space.
One such program offered by Public Education Partners aims to provide professional development to more than 800 teachers in the Greenville County school district around understanding cultural, racial and ethnic differences between students and teaching methods to address these sensitivities with positive results.
“Classrooms are among the first places where children learn how to be in community with each other and navigate differences,” said Catherine Schumacher, president and CEO of Public Education Partners. “Having empathetic teachers in the classroom who have taken the time to deepen their knowledge of racial equality will help vulnerable children. When we serve vulnerable children well, we serve all children better. We are grateful to the Duke Energy Foundation for its investment in this work. “
Duke Energy
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of the communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $ 30 million annually in charitable donations and is funded by Duke Energy’s shareholder dollars. More information about the foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company based in Charlotte, NC, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. It employs 29,000 people and has a power generation capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities and 2,300 megawatts through its unregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.
Duke Energy is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing the electricity grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding the natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. Electric Utilities and Infrastructure regulated utilities serve 7.8 million retail electricity consumers in six states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to 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 in the United States, as well as energy storage and micro-grid projects.
Duke Energy was included in Fortune’s 2020 list of “Most Admired Companies in the World” and Forbes’s “Best Employers in America” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains press releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy lighting features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: Ryan Mosier
800.559.3853