Kentucky Power awards $12,000 in grants to Eastern Kentucky schools

ASHLAND, Ky. — Kentucky Power has awarded 13 grants totaling about $12,000 to a dozen eastern Kentucky schools as part of the FIRST robotics program and the Teacher Vision Grant program.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multi-national robotics competition that teams professionals and high school students to solve an engineering problem in an intense and competitive way. Grant amounts range from a few hundred dollars for elementary and middle schools up to $6,000 for high schools. The Teacher Vision Grant program provides small grants to individual teachers to use in their classrooms. Grants range from $100 to $500 each, and are limited to one per teacher and two per school.

“Kentucky Power is critically aware of the need for strong science and technology education programs,” said Brett Mattison, Kentucky Power’s president and chief operating officer. “We are proud that our robotics grants can help our teachers provide students with firsthand experiences in science and technology. Our Teacher Vision Grants also allow teachers to pursue specialized classroom projects in other subjects as well.”

Schools and teachers receiving FIRST grants are:

1. Argillite Elementary, Lucas Stout, $250
2. Belfry High School, Haridas Chandran, $6,000
3. Greenup County High School, Kristina Brown, $2,000
4. Herald Whitaker Middle School, Mary McDaniel, $500
5. Letcher Middle School, Bryant Combs, $400
6. Pikeville High School, Michelle Scott, $500

Schools and teachers receiving Teacher Vision grants are:

1. Hayes Lewis Elementary, Vicki Wooton, $300
2. Paintsville Elementary, Jessica Davis, $300
3. Phelps Elementary, Timothy Mayhorn, $488; Kari Mayhorn, $400
4. Phelps High School, Patrick Lester, $338
5. Shelby Valley High School, Timothy Hall, $247
6. W.B. Muncy Elementary, Mara Lee Anne Wooton, $300

Teachers applied for the FIRST robotics grants in January and the Teacher Vision grants in February. FIRST grants support LEGO and other robotics teams. Projects funded through the Teacher Vision grant program included drone aerial photography, drama, solar energy and a sublimation printing lab, among other projects.

Kentucky Power, based in Ashland, provides electric service to about 166,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties. Kentucky Power is part of the American Electric Power system.