October 25, 2017
Grant award announced in Martin County, birthplace of the ‘war on poverty’
INEZ, Ky., – Kentucky Power on Wednesday awarded a $500,000 American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation grant for a virtual learning project for eastern Kentucky students.
The grant to the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) funds Go Online and Learn (GOAL). The GOAL driven by Kentucky Power project unites 36 high schools in eastern Kentucky and assists about 22,400 students in rural communities within 20 counties served by Kentucky Power. KEDC will administer the program, which links high schools with virtual field trips to places such as the Great Barrier reef in Australia and the 911 Tribute Museum in New York. The program also connects eastern Kentucky students with distinguished professors and learning institutions, such as Harvard and MIT, as well as students in other countries, all at no cost.
“We are both honored and excited to partner with AEP and Kentucky Power to bring innovative technology instruction to our high schools,” said Nancy Hutchinson, chief executive officer of KEDC. “Preparing our students for the 21st Century is the key to helping them compete.”
The major grant was announced at Sheldon Clark High School in Martin County, the eastern Kentucky community where President Lyndon Johnson visited in 1964 to generate support for his war on poverty.
“The lesson of the war on poverty is education is transformative,” Satterwhite said. “Still today we hear of barriers that keep students in eastern Kentucky from moving on to higher education and reaching their career aspirations. This grant is a major investment in our children, our communities and the future of eastern Kentucky and it supports our long-term strategy to bring economic development and jobs to eastern Kentucky.”
Martha Williams, principal at Sheldon Clark High School, said the grant will help her school reach goals she set to expand STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) opportunities.
“The American Electric Power Foundation grant will provide multiple resources to assist us in achieving this goal,” Williams said. “With the declining coal industry, our community is redefining how we train the future workforce. Being one of the eastern Kentucky schools to benefit from this grant is a tremendous honor.”
The American Electric Power Foundation is funded by American Electric Power and its utility operating companies, including Kentucky Power. The Foundation focuses on improving lives through education in science, technology, engineering, math and the environment and by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing and the elimination of hunger. Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, Ky., provides service to approximately 168,000 customers.
