Dominion donates $100,000 to NEED Project

Thanks to a $100,000 educational grant from the Dominion Foundation, public middle schools across Virginia will receive updated educational materials and teacher training this year to help sixth-graders learn the science behind energy. Dominion is partnering with the NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project and the Virginia Department of Education for this statewide initiative.

“We are very pleased to support Virginia schools by funding a high-quality energy curriculum that will help students excel in the science classroom and better understand energy sources,” said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Foundation.

NEED representatives will use the grant to develop instructional materials and energy tool kits to engage students in the science of energy, energy transformations, Virginia’s energy geography and natural resources, and more. NEED and Dominion will host teacher workshops in three regions this month to introduce the new curriculum.

“This is an exciting opportunity for middle-school teachers and students to learn more about energy through interactive STEM-focused explorations,” said Mary Spruill, executive director, NEED. “The new curriculum will allow students to understand energy in an authentic way, connecting them to energy in the world around them.”

“All of the materials in the Energy in Virginia! teacher kit align with the state Science Standards of Learning and support other subjects, such as mathematics, writing, reading, and social studies,” said Eric Rhoades, the Virginia Department of Education’s director of science and health education. “The program makes learning about energy sources engaging and enjoyable for students. It’s a wonderful hands-on learning opportunity.”

Last year, Dominion partnered with NEED to launch the Dominion Solar for Schools program, which installed solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electric power on the grounds of four schools in the Dominion Virginia Power service area. For more information on these partnership programs, visit www.need.org/dominionpartnership.