Pacific Power announces grants to support education and STEM programs
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Pacific Power Foundation is announcing more than $200,000 in new grant awards to nonprofits and community organizations that support education and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning opportunities in the communities Pacific Power serves.
Through this funding, the foundation seeks to open doors to opportunity now and in the future by investing in programs that support and lift up young people through education and skill development for a rapidly changing world.
"We’re honored to help our local organizations prepare kids and adults to thrive and succeed on their own terms through these education, STEM and workforce development opportunities,” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO, Pacific Power. “We are inspired by the many innovative ways our communities are helping our young people prepare for the future.”
These education and STEM grants are made through one of four grant cycles offered by Pacific Power’s nonprofit arm each year. The following 64 grants totaling $200,900 were given to these regional organizations:
Oregon
Greater Portland area
Cascade Pacific Council Boy Scouts of America to help establish additional scout troops in underserved urban and rural areas.
College Possible for the College Access program at McDaniel High School, which helps ensure underserved students have equitable access to higher education and continues supporting the students until they earn college degrees.
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest for Eureka!, a five-year mentorship program for girls in grades 8-12 that includes lessons, field trips, internships, job shadows and other activities designed to encourage and support a path to STEM careers.
Greater Than to help provide scholarships and case management for Class 10 cohort college students who have been involved in the program since third grade.
Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program (ORTOP) to support the participation of student FIRST robotics teams in robotics tournaments.
Oregon STEM to help staff working to ensure equitable access to quality STEM education and to align education, career awareness and workforce development efforts.
Portland Rose Festival Foundation for the 2024 Intern Education Program, which provides college students with professional work experience at a nonprofit in the areas of event production, project management, volunteer management, communications, promotions and access to a new welding internship involved in building parade floats.
Portland Workforce Alliance for a workplace mentoring program that matches underrepresented students with workplaces where they can learn about high-demand, high-wage careers.
Reading Results for a reading program aimed at improving reading outcomes for struggling students in grades 1-4 who are behind grade level.
Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation to provide a scholarship for an undergraduate or graduate student studying renewable energy.
St. Andrew Nativity School for a middle school STEM program for students whose families have low incomes.
Schoolhouse Supplies for the Tools for Schools program, which provides supplies and backpacks for students in need.
We Are Healers for the Healers Community Circle program, which provides educational enrichment opportunities for Native American students pursuing healthcare careers.
Willamette Valley
Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis for T3: Training Teens for Tomorrow, a workforce development program that helps teens connect with career paths.
Connected Lane County to support a cohort of 15 youth for the summer Invention Lab, a four-week paid experience where young people from underrepresented communities learn technical STEM skills and work in teams to create inventions to solve complex challenges.
Corvallis Public Schools Foundation for the Summer Care and Connect program, which provides critical, continuous family advocacy and mental health outreach and support to students and their families.
Creswell Clubhouse for books, science equipment, arts and crafts materials, educational games and more to support after-school and summer camp enrichment programs.
Financial Beginnings Oregon for the Financial Empowerment Fellowship, a youth workforce development program that recruits diverse youth leaders in Marion and Polk counties to serve as fellows who build partnerships and teach financial education in the community.
Ophelia’s Place to provide paid internships for college-age women who help deliver behavioral health services for girls ages 10 to 18.
Oregon State University for the Pacific Power Scholars Program scholarship for undergraduate students in OSU’s College of Engineering School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Philomath Community Services (PCS) for a new water heater to help the June’s Kids Kloset program clean donated clothing for distribution to local youth in need.
Scio School District to expand the community wrestling program, which provides a safe, nurturing environment where local youth learn responsibility, respect, discipline and teamwork.
Northern Coast
Clatsop Childcare Retention and Expansion Program to provide grants to childcare providers to help expand early childhood education and quality childcare options in the community.
Necanicum Watershed Council for the Días del Salmón project, in partnership with Consejo Hispano, which provides watershed-level ecological education to Latino residents of Clatsop County.
Neskowin Valley School for a diversity and equity project that offers mental health services for students and the community.
Warrenton Middle School to support a partnership with the Oregon Coast STEM Hub and Columbia Maritime Museum to provide a variety of STEM summer camp activities for local students.
Central Oregon
Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend for Project Learn, a focal academic enrichment program promoting a “hands-on/mind-on” approach.
Desert Sky Montessori for professional staff development and STEM kits, curriculum and books.
EarthWin to help middle and high school students apply STEAM fundamentals to create, fund and execute meaningful sustainability projects that address real-world problems.
Family Access Network for advocate services that serve children from birth to age 18 and their families who have low incomes, addressing crucial basic needs.
Oregon State University for Pacific Power Scholars Program scholarship for undergraduate students at the OSU-Cascades campus studying energy systems engineering.
Summit High School Robotics to help this student-led robotics team compete in the 2023-2024 robotics season and build STEM skills.
Think Wild to build a yurt to host and expand on-site community education programming at this wildlife hospital and conservation center.
Tower Theatre Foundation for arts education performances and programs for grades K-12 throughout Central Oregon for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Umpqua Valley
Boys & Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley for supplies for a do-it-yourself STEM program that provides hands-on activities that help youth ages 9 through 12 understand science concepts and learn about possible future career paths.
Oregon Alliance of YMCAs – Youth and Government to help high school students participate in a civic engagement and leadership program that teaches young people about the democratic process.
Southern Coast
The Lighthouse School for the purchase of a new LED projector to enhance teaching and allow for more teacher-student interaction.
Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation to help establish and maintain an instructional garden for a new agroecology program that will emphasize sustainable and regenerative practices and integrate STEM curriculum in course design.
Eastern Oregon
Creating Memories for Disabled Children to continue needed renovations to the camp’s lodge.
Pendleton Children’s Center to help expand the childcare center so it can serve more families with low incomes.
Rogue Valley
71Five for equipment and supplies to support a vocational-technical program that prepares older youth for workforce success in high-demand, livable-wage careers.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley for the STEAM Club, which provides engaging, high-quality activities that help children and teens learn STEAM concepts.
Collaborative Theatre Project to acquire a new programming board for stage equipment to improve the quality of the theatre company’s work as it continues to connect with Latino families.
Direct Involvement Recreation Teaching for Our Creekside Project, which works with high school students on restorative work along the Bear Creek riparian area.
Project Youth+ to help purchase a food cart for a pilot youth entrepreneur program, Business Opportunities for Student Success (B.O.S.S.), which provides youth from ages 14 through 24 the opportunity to open and operate their own youth-led business.
Roots and Wings Community Preschool for the Equitable Education Care Program, which provides tuition assistance to help ensure that families have equal access to high-quality early childhood education and care.
Spartan Boxing Club to expand tutoring as part of the DREAM Youth Program, which serves primarily diverse youth, ages 5 through 18, from homes experiencing low incomes.
Woodland Charter School for a research-based intervention curriculum to help a math specialist provide small-group instruction for students needing help in mathematics.
Klamath Falls
Crosspoint Christian School for a new shot clock to be installed in the school gymnasium prior to the 2023-2024 basketball season to meet Oregon School Activities Association guidelines.
Friends of the Mentor Program to help provide a variety of STEM activities to Lake County students through team mentor and one-on-one programs.
Henley Engineering and Robotics for the purchase of equipment for the elementary and high school robotics programs, and to help students attend the VEX Robotics World Championships.
OHSU Foundation for the On Track health and science pathways outreach program providing hands-on education aimed at helping Native American students in Klamath County discover biomedical career paths.
Oregon Tech Foundation to support scholarships for four students from Pacific Power communities who are pursuing degrees in renewable energy engineering or electrical engineering at Oregon Institute of Technology.
Ponderosa PTO for the support of Math Madness, a bracketed math competition in which teams compete for prizes, designed to improve students’ math scores.
Portland State University Foundation – Oregon MESA Program to help present STEM programs at middle and high school chapters in Southern Oregon.
Washington
Clark College Foundation for a STEM summer camp designed to increase the number of high school students from diverse populations who enroll in STEM programs at Clark College.
FIRST Washington to cover robot kits and other expenses for five new program teams to engage youth from diverse backgrounds in skill-building STEM activities.
Heritage University to provide scholarships to diverse students pursuing a STEM area of study.
The National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership and Child First – Yakima for professional development education courses for nurses serving diverse populations.
Perry Technical Foundation for a diesel diagnostic kit to support the Agricultural & Diesel Equipment Technology training program at Perry Technical Institute, which prepares students for careers in technical fields.
Tri-State Steelheaders to expand Salmon in School, a STEM education program that provides students the experience of raising and releasing salmon as they learn about the salmon life cycle, watersheds, riparian areas, plants and animals.
Walla Walla Community College Foundation for the Pacific Power Scholarship Fund, which offers targeted, need-based scholarships to students from underserved and tribal communities.
Walla Walla Public Schools Foundation to bring the Pacific Science Center’s Science on Wheels “Blood & Guts” program for a hands-on science experience for every seventh-grade student in the district.
Yakima Union Gospel Mission for a new security gate to improve campus safety for staff, volunteers, donors and the community.