News Releases

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Aug. 24, 2016) – Tomorrow’s engineers and mathematicians need only a spark to get their imaginations – and their careers – headed in the right direction. PBS39, WITF and WVIA are helping to spark curiosity in students through the PPL Empowering Educators program, sponsored by PPL Corporation. This program is designed to help K-8 teachers provide hands-on learning by bringing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to life for their students.

The PPL Empowering Educators grant program directs focus toward STEM projects to encourage action in schools in the 29 Pennsylvania counties served by PPL. Through these competitive grants, teachers can receive $1,000 funding for educational projects such as science fairs, energy conservation projects, renewable energy demonstrations and math competitions.
Empowering Educators will feature teacher-led student teams who will identify STEM-related projects in their schools. Each school who wishes to participate must submit a contest application to its local station via an online application. 

“Empowering Educators is a great way to give local students a hands-on STEM learning experience,” said Tim Fallon, PBS39 CEO. “For students and teachers alike, this program promises to be an enriching experience.”

This year, PPL will award $15,000 in Empowering Educators grants. Since the program’s inception in 2003, PPL has awarded more than $165,000 for projects in 93 schools throughout the 29 counties served by PPL.

“The success of our future workforce depends on today’s students having experience in and enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and math,” said Lissette Santana, manager of corporate relations for PPL. “We’re excited to partner with our local PBS stations to support teachers and school projects through the Empowering Educators grants to help generate students’ interest in these exciting fields.”

PBS39, WITF and WVIA will select five winning teams apiece, for a total of 15. Each winning team will be awarded $1,000 during a ceremony at their local station in early November, which will be used to bring their projects to fruition. Each team will be judged on its project proposal, its school need, and potential overall impact. 

“By completing a STEM-related project from start to finish, our educational communities stand to benefit from the discoveries made,” said Tom Currá, WVIA President/CEO and executive producer. “Moreover, the general public will reap the benefits of having their important needs addressed.”

The teams will celebrate their completed projects during a ceremony at their local station in May 2017. Students will be required to prepare a 2-3 minute presentation for the ceremony that will address the experience and the impact their project had on the community. Video presentations are encouraged.

The contest application process will be open from September 1, 2016 - October 31, 2016 at the three stations. Grant recipients will be announced December 2, 2016. Each project must be completed by April 15, 2017. A final report must be submitted to the applicant’s local station describing the outcomes of each project by May 6, 2017. For more information, click here.

About PPL Corporation
Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) is one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector. PPL’s seven high-performing, award-winning utilities serve 10 million customers in the U.S. and United Kingdom. The company and its 13,000 employees are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and reliability and delivering superior value for shareowners. 

About PBS39
PBS39 is a community-owned public television station licensed to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pa., serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. PBS39 is owned and operated by the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. The mission of PBS39 is to educate, inspire, inform, and entertain, while stimulating the exchange of ideas for community enrichment. For more information, please visit wlvt.org.

About WITF 
WITF, a multimedia company and destination, is one of the country’s top-performing and most entrepreneurial public broadcasting organizations serving the beautiful and historic Susquehanna Valley in South Central Pennsylvania. For more than 50 years, WITF’s mission has been a commitment to lifelong learning. From early childhood through elder maturity, WITF exists to support learning through all the roles we play in life. Learn more at witf.org. 

About WVIA
WVIA Public Media is a catalyst, convener, and educator, using media, partnerships, powerful ideas, and programs to improve lives and advance the best attributes of an enlightened society. Learn more at wvia.org.