PPL Foundation Launches Community Scholarship Program to Advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Energy-Focused Careers

Company to award $1 million in scholarships over the next decade

The PPL Foundation has created a new scholarship program – Powering a Brighter Future – to advance diversity, equity and inclusion and attract more women and minorities to careers in engineering, information technology and tech and trade roles.

Beginning in 2021, the scholarship program will award $100,000 annually to individuals pursuing degrees in these fields at qualifying colleges, universities and technical schools.

“As we work to advance a more sustainable energy future across PPL and position the company for future success, we view diversity, equity and inclusion as a strategic imperative,” said Ryan Hill, president of the PPL Foundation. “We’re committed to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce that will fuel innovation, drive change and build tomorrow’s energy infrastructure.”

“Toward that end, PPL Foundation’s new Powering a Brighter Future program is designed to foster greater diversity in key fields and to expand access to high-quality education that offers opportunities for a better life for students in our communities.”

Each year under the new program, PPL will provide:

  • 15 Power Scholars: Awards to minority and female students pursuing a degree in Engineering and Information Technology. The $5,000 awards are available to students entering any year of full-time, post-secondary education at a college or university.
  • 10 Powerful Tech and Trade: Awards of $2,500 each for minority and female students entering any year of a full-time, post-secondary career training at a community college or technical school in PPL’s Pennsylvania service territory.

PPL has partnered with Scholarship America to operate the annual community scholarship, including handling applications, selection and disbursements.

The scholarship program reflects PPL Foundation’s commitment to supporting education, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion – a new Foundation focus area added in the summer of 2020.

Information about the program can be found online at:  https://www.pplweb.com/communities/brighter-future-scholarships/

 

Educating Communities: Other PPL Foundation-Led Initiatives

Education is one of the main priorities for the PPL Foundation, which provides grants to support nonprofit organizations that are focused on increasing educational opportunities for as many children as possible, from cradle to college.

In 2016, PPL launched an initiative aimed at erasing the summer learning gap, which is one key factor in improving education for all students. The company partnered with the United Way and other community organizations to develop Cover to Cover, a summer reading program. The PPL Foundation and PPL employees donate thousands of new and gently used books to students throughout its Pennsylvania service area. The program also provides funding for libraries and other summer reading programs in central and eastern Pennsylvania. Cover to Cover is one of many examples of how PPL partners with community organizations to help improve education.

The company also recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its longstanding Partners in Education program in which employees at its corporate headquarters in Allentown partner with teachers at a neighboring elementary school to provide tutoring, student mentoring and other classroom assistance. Every year, about 35 employees spend an hour every week during the school year working with their teacher and class.

PPL’s Empowering Educators grant programs provides grants to teachers working to spark an interest in STEM subjects. Since the program’s inception in 2003, PPL has awarded more than $200,000 for projects in schools in communities served by PPL.

These are just a few of the ways PPL is helping to building a strong foundation in education, which is critical to the success of today’s students.