Blackwell Youth Center Receives $10,000 AEP Foundation Grant

TULSA, Okla., December 16, 2024 - The Blackwell Youth Center (BYS) in Blackwell, Oklahoma is receiving a $10,000 American Electric Power Foundation grant to help the non-profit continue its mission of providing a safe haven for local children to grow and learn. The AEP Foundation made this grant at the recommendation of Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a Tulsa-based electric provider.

The grant will fund academic programs for 8-10-year-olds as well as promote physical, educational, and life skills necessary to prepare and empower them for leadership in their communities and success in their personal lives.

"We have to watch every penny we have," says BYS Director Denise Hindman. "This grant will likely fund our programs for an entire year."

As a town that lies within PSO's Rock Falls Wind Farm footprint, Blackwell is one of many communities the AEP Foundation and PSO charitably support. Donating time, resources, and dollars to organizations across Oklahoma is foundational to powering a brighter future.

"The Blackwell Youth Center clearly provides a huge benefit to the children in their community," said External Affairs Manager Kristi Sproul. "Grants like this show the commitment PSO, AEP and the AEP Foundation have to the people who live and work in the areas we serve."

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 4,400 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 and by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing and the elimination of hunger. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and philanthropic civic vitality.