Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) is excited to partner with Volunteers of America North Louisiana to help expand their services to students in 14 Caddo Parish schools.
At the request of SWEPCO, the American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation awarded a grant of $75,000 to Volunteers of America North Louisiana to expand their Communities in Schools (CIS) and LightHouse programs. Both programs currently serve approximately 7,000 students.
“SWEPCO recognizes how beneficial both programs are, helping thousands of students in the classroom,” shared SWEPCO External Affairs Manager Michael Corbin.
He added, “We see this as the perfect opportunity and time to assist them in expanding the programs to help even more students.”
According to Volunteers of America North Louisiana President/CEO Carolyn Hammond, “Together, these efforts are making a significant impact in reducing barriers to education and ensuring children stay in school.”
CIS focuses on attendance, behavior, and course performance. According to Hammond, 78% percent of students receiving intensive services met or made progress toward either an academic, attendance, or behavior goal.
LightHouse works to ensure students are mastering their coursework by offering after-school assistance with homework and enrichment activities. In 2022-23, over 300 LightHouse students earned a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
“This year we face a $2.5 million funding gap between what we receive from the government and the actual cost of our programs,” said Hammond. She also shared that private dollars are needed to help cover these services.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
We deliver safe, reliable and affordable power to more than half a million homes and businesses in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Our 1,400 employees power today’s necessities and inspire tomorrow’s possibilities. You’ll see us improving communities, promoting sustainability and building grid resiliency throughout our territory, spanning more than 25,000 distribution line miles. Our work in energy efficiency has been repeatedly recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy, which honored us as an ENERGY STAR® 2023 Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence. We recognize that innovative approaches to workforce development are necessary to effectively recruit qualified, diverse talent in today’s competitive labor market and this includes a commitment to building a diverse and skilled workforce through partnerships to grow the talent pipeline. We’re proud to be named Texas Workforce Commission’s 2023 Employer of Excellence and to receive the 2023 Curt Eysink Excellence in Workplace Development award from the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. Because we produce and deliver one of the most powerful forces on earth, we keep the safety and well-being of our customers and employees at the forefront, always. We are proud of the Million Work Hours Safety Award from the Arkansas Department of Labor Licensing and Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission on behalf of our Flint Creek Power Plant for working 4 million hours without a lost-time accident. We believe we can deliver reliable electricity while protecting the environment. Our work to support habitat conservation was recently recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council Conservation (WHC) who awarded us a Silver Certification for supporting sustainable ecosystems at our Eagle Watch Nature Trail. SWEPCO is an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, LA. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us by following Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv and LinkedIn.com/company/swepco.
About American Electric Power Foundation (AEP Foundation)
The American Electric Power Foundation is funded by American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) and its operating subsidiaries. The Foundation provides a permanent, ongoing resource for charitable initiatives involving higher dollar values and multi-year commitments in the communities served by AEP and initiatives outside of AEP’s 11- state service area. The Foundation focuses on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math; by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing and the elimination of hunger; and championing social justice. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.