PSO Announces 2024 AEP Foundation STEM After-School Grant Winners

TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 19, 2024) - Seventeen FFA chapters across Oklahoma will receive a total of more than $36,000 in American Electric Power Foundation FFA STEM After-School Grants this year. The AEP Foundation is the charitable arm of American Electric Power, parent company of Tulsa-based electric provider, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO).

Everything from vet science to lasers to greenhouse & watering systems - a broad range of agriculture studies - will be funded by the grants. Each of these STEM-based projects, now funded by these grants, were created and designed by the FFA students and their advisors in their respective chapters.

Grants ranging from $700 to $2,500, will be awarded to FFA chapters in Atoka, Bartlesville, Burns Flats-Dill City, Caney Valley, Carnegie, Chouteau-Mazie, Coweta, Fletcher, Inola, McCurtain, Mountain View - Gotebo, Salina, Soper, Stigler, Temple, Valliant and Wright City. The grants will be presented at five regional FFA Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) conferences, also sponsored by PSO, which begin Aug. 27 in McAlester.

"PSO is excited to accelerate hands-on STEM activities in Oklahoma schools through these grants," said PSO Vice President of External Affairs Tiffini Jackson. "Through these collaborative efforts, we nurture creativity and inspiration, laying a strong foundation for a bright future for our students and the state of Oklahoma."

Since 2018, the AEP Foundation and PSO have awarded grants now totaling more than $245,007 to FFA chapters to fund a wide range of programs and activities that are helping advance agricultural education, foster innovation and inspire success. In 2020, the AEP Foundation announced a $200,000 grant to fund the program through the 2024-2025 school year.

The unique grant program reflects the strong alignment between PSO, AEP Foundation and the Oklahoma FFA Foundation in providing students the opportunity to learn and grow in STEM-related fields.

"After-school STEM grants mean Oklahoma children will learn valuable skills and important concepts," said Jacey Fye, Oklahoma FFA Foundation executive director. "PSO and the AEP Foundation have a long record of supporting FFA and STEM education, and we thank them for their continued efforts."

About PSO

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), is an electric utility company serving nearly 575,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma, powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and 232 communities. Based in Tulsa, PSO has approximately 4,500 megawatts of diverse generating capacity that primarily includes wind and natural gas. It maintains and operates more than 20,000 miles of distribution lines and 3,800 miles of transmission lines and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. Find news releases and other information at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor and Instagram @PSOklahoma.

About 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 AEP's 11-state service area. As an independent, non-profit philanthropic organization, the Foundation is funded solely by AEP through shareholder dollars.

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 and racial justice. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.

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