Kimberlie Grabenstine, a teacher at Williamsport Elementary School, has been awarded a $950 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grant from FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE). The grant will be used to teach Grabenstine's fourth grade students about wave patterns, including building a seismograph and testing it.
Students will experiment with the design of their seismograph, using different designs and materials, to discover which design best registers the patterns and waves produced during an earthquake. They also will learn about the best ways to alert the public when an earthquake happens.
"FirstEnergy's STEM grants help us to support educational activities in our Maryland service area, particularly those that encourage students to pursue careers in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Dee Lowery, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. "We are pleased to assist with this interesting STEM project in our Potomac Edison service territory to support our students, schools and educators as they work to help build a strong workforce for the future."
FirstEnergy offers grants up to $1,000 to individual teachers and administrators at schools served by its electric utility operating companies and in communities where it has facilities. Company-wide, these grants totaled almost $70,000 in 2017.
Grant recipients are recommended by local educators who make up FirstEnergy's Educational Advisory Council. As part of the program, recipients must furnish a written summary and evaluation of their projects that can be shared with other educators in FirstEnergy's service area.
Potomac Edison serves about 257,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and 137,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison on Twitter @PotomacEdison, or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PotomacEdison
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
