FirstEnergy Awards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Grants to Six Teachers in The Illuminating Company Service Area

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has awarded Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) grants totaling more than $5,000 to six teachers in the company's Illuminating Company service area.  The grants will be used for a variety of hands-on projects, workshops and teacher development programs.

The grant winners, their schools and projects are:

• Matthew Butlien, Lakeside High School, Ashtabula ? Designing and testing several different styles of chemical batteries.
• Bill Crow, Perry High School, Perry ? Raising trout from fertilized eggs to learn about water chemistry and fish biology.
• Michelle Hinegardner, Heskett Middle School, Bedford Heights ? Designing and building miniature catapults.
• Sarah Rivera, Perry High School, Perry ? Separating and classifying materials that are mixtures, elements and compounds and identifying properties of each.
• Christine Schroeter, Cardinal Middle School, Middlefield ? Building underwater remotely operated vehicles and using them to provide underwater surveillance and water quality sampling for the Geauga Park District.
• Scott Spence, Lakeside Junior High, Ashtabula ? Building wind turbines and using multimeters to assess their electrical output.

"FirstEnergy has always supported educational activities in communities served by The Illuminating Company, 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 several STEM projects this year that 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.

The Illuminating Company serves more than 750,000 customers across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties.  Follow The Illuminating Company on Twitter @IlluminatingCo, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.

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.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.