CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (April 11, 2024) ― The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with EPB and Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc. (a TVA retiree organization), awarded a total of $57,000 in STEM grants to 13 schools in EPB’s service area. These schools are among the 343 schools across TVA’s service area to receive a record $1.5 million this year in grants to develop science, technology, engineering and math education projects to help spark student interest in future careers in STEM-related fields.
Grants of up to $5,000 were awarded in a competitive process, with preferences given to applications that explored TVA’s primary areas of focus: environment, energy, economic development and community problem-solving. Any school that receives power from a local power company served by TVA was eligible to apply.
Schools in EPB’s service area selected for the program include:
“TVA is committed to supporting schools and educators who are inspiring an interest in STEM education in students across the Valley, as we know our young people will design and build the energy systems of the future,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer. “Providing resources and access to STEM education is key to inspiring innovation and we’re proud to contribute to the next generation’s visionaries.”
Since 2018, TVA and BVI have awarded nearly $6 million in STEM grants supporting more than 600,000 students.
“Our mission at EPB is to enhance the quality of life for our community. TVA’s STEM grants complement the hard work of EPB and our many partners in programs like ArtSpark, Future Ready Institutes, HCS EdConnect and more, to prepare students with the skills needed for their future,” said EPB Director of Residential Energy and Environmental Solutions Elizabeth Hammitt. “TVA STEM grants give students the technical experience and teamwork skills necessary to implement their projects successfully at school and in the real world.”
The competitive TVA STEM Classroom Grant Program is operated in partnership with the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network managed by the Battelle organization. A full list of grant recipients, and information on how to apply for a future STEM grant can be found at tva.com/stem.
###
About EPB
EPB is a customer-focused technology company that delivers innovative power and telecommunications solutions to the Chattanooga area in pursuit of its mission to enhance the quality of life for the community it serves. In 2010, EPB completed a 100% fiber optic network accessible to all its customers as the basis for launching America’s first community-wide Gig speed internet. The company still operates the world’s fastest community-wide internet service today at speeds up to 25 Gig. EPB also utilizes Chattanooga’s fiber optic network as the communications backbone for the most advanced and highly automated power distribution system in the United States. In 2022, EPB continued its commitment to keeping Chattanooga on the cutting edge by establishing our nation’s first commercially available quantum network—EPB Quantum Network℠ powered by Qubitekk. This effort aligns local job creation efforts with the national priority to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technology.
Since switching the lights on for its first electric customer in 1939, EPB has grown to serve nearly a half a million people across a 600-square-mile service area with cutting-edge infrastructure that integrates power distribution and telecommunications. At the same time, EPB keeps customer benefit at the center of all its efforts, earning recognition from J.D. Power as the #1 Mid-Sized Utility in the South for the last eight consecutive years based on customer satisfaction ratings. Learn more at epb.com.
We welcome journalists to contact the Media Relations team for information and news about EPB:
Follow @EPB_Chattanooga for the latest company news
We’re available anytime to provide customer service and technical support.
Click to gain access to the EPB Brand Central asset library.