Georgia Power announced a significant increase in the number of students engaged in its energy learning programs throughout the 2015-2016 school year. Nearly 100,000 students in schools across Georgia participated in the company’s in-school initiatives including Learning Power, PowerTOWN and Georgia Pre-K Week this year. As part of Georgia Power’s commitment to education, the company works in classrooms and communities across the state to deliver lessons and seminars through these programs focused on energy and engineering, as well as science, technology, education and math topics.
 
“There is no greater investment we can make in Georgia’s future than ensuring that our students and our teachers are prepared with the basic skills and knowledge they need to be successful in key STEM areas,” said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “Enhancing education is the responsibility of all of Georgia’s companies and we’re honored to have the opportunity to continue to have such an impact across the state, year after year.”
 
Education program highlights from the recent school year include:
 
· More than 3,200 local events in schools reaching more than 80,000 students as part of the signature Learning Power program.  Learning Power provides customized curriculum and materials at no cost to schools with education coordinators presenting STEM-related lessons highlighting energy basics such as simple circuits and energy efficiency, in addition to activities that help students understand how energy is made and distributed.  In just five years since the program began, Georgia Power has hosted more than 14,000 events reaching 380,000 Georgia students.
 
· Nearly 1,000 PowerTOWN electrical safety presentations reaching thousands of students and adults. PowerTOWN uses a model town table kit to demonstrate real-life scenarios involving electricity and explain how to safely live and work around electricity every day.
 
· Dozens of Georgia Power employees spotlighted literacy by reading in more than 160 Georgia classrooms to 3,800 students as part of Georgia Pre-K Week in October.  The company partners with the non-profit Voices for Georgia’s Children and other leading Georgia companies to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education through this annual event.
 
Supporting classroom education also means supporting teachers. For more than a decade, Georgia Power has provided much-needed funds for new Georgia teachers through its New Teacher Assistance Grant program. Last year, the company awarded 41 new Georgia teachers with $1,000 grants to purchase classroom supplies and start their careers as pre-K, elementary, middle and high school teachers.  Since 2004, the company has awarded more than $350,000 in individual grants to more than 350 new teachers in communities across the state.
 
In addition to STEM-related education programs, improving education at all levels is also a primary philanthropic initiative for Georgia Power. In 2015, the company contributed $5.8 million to support education initiatives such as the Ron Clark Academy, University System of Georgia Foundation, Inc. and Berry College, Inc. This includes company matched employee donations to 86 institutions of higher education and a $500,000 donation for Georgia Public Broadcasting's updated interactive in-classroom video series for teachers: Chemistry Matters and Physics Fundamentals.