Greenville, NC – STEM East is pleased to announce it will receive a $500,000 grant from Duke Energy to further expand educational science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Centers across eastern North Carolina
Greenville, NC – STEM East is pleased to announce it will receive a $500,000 grant from Duke Energy to further expand educational science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Centers across eastern North Carolina.
The grant will allow STEM East to expand a public/private network throughout eastern North Carolina and prepare students for success as they enter a rapidly evolving workforce. Mike Hughes, Duke Energy vice president of community relations, made the announcement last Thursday during the 2015 State of the Region event held by the NCEast Alliance.
John Chaffee, NCEast Alliance President/CEO, stated “The announcement reflects the value of having STEM East embedded within the NCEast Alliance – the importance of connecting employers with educators to the benefit of students. We are ecstatic that Duke Energy has recognized the value of our model and the long term benefit to the economy of eastern North Carolina.”
With this funding, STEM East will establish STEM Centers in middle schools across six eastern North Carolina counties – Carteret, Craven, Greene, Lenoir, Onslow and Wilson. It also will help the program expand to high schools in five additional counties – Beaufort, Duplin, Jones, Pitt and Wayne.
“Now more than ever before, we need to ensure our students are equipped with knowledge and background in science, technology, engineering and math. STEM East is providing real-world learning to more students throughout the region,” Hughes said. “Duke Energy is grateful for the work STEM East is doing to address the current regional skills gaps, expand economic opportunities, and improve workforce development.”
The new STEM Centers will host open house events and conduct regional training events for educators. STEM East Centers foster education and skills development of future workers who will support existing industries in eastern North Carolina.
About STEM East
STEM East is developing networks with industries, organizations and educational institutions to improve student-learning pathways that will lead to employment. Through the collaboration of multiple businesses, education districts, economic development municipalities and foundations, state government departments, and many others, STEM Center students will engage in real-world learning modules that directly align with career opportunities in Eastern North Carolina. For more information visit www.stemeast.org.
About the Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation actively works to improve the quality of life in its communities, lending expertise in the form of leadership and philanthropic support to charitable organizations. Duke Energy has long been committed to building and supporting the communities in which its customers and employees live and work.
More information is available at duke-energy.com/foundation.
About the NCEast Alliance
The NCEast Alliance is a regional, public/private, not-for-profit, economic development corporation serving 26 counties with approximately 1.2 million residents within several small metropolitan and micropolitan areas in eastern North Carolina from the fringe of the Research Triangle to the Atlantic Coast. The Alliance provides community capacity building, marketing/lead generation, and assists companies with site location and expansion evaluations. For more information on the NCEast Alliance, visit us at www.nceast.org or visit one of our workforce development sites (www.ncworkready.org or www.stemeast.org).