Apr 17, 2025 | Community Involvement, Energy Efficiency
Over 500 students participated in the annual Bright Ideas Energy Efficiency Student Poster Contest and 27 participated in the Think! Energy Innovation Challenge, presented by PPL Electric Utilities. Students designed posters and other creative projects to illustrate practical ideas for energy efficiency and sustainability.
Contest submissions came from students whose classes participated in energy efficiency presentations and hands-on activities. Topics and bright ideas from this year’s poster entries included recycling, efficient lighting, using solar power, turning off appliances when not in use and more.
Budding artists from kindergarten through 8th grade took part in the Bright Ideas Energy Efficiency Student Poster Contest. Along with highlighting environmental awareness, the artwork also earned accolades for several participants. Grand prize winners received a $100 gift card, plus a $100 grant for the teacher and a pizza or ice cream party for the class. Honorable mentions received a $25 gift card and a pizza or ice cream party.
The Think! Energy Innovation Challenge encouraged 9th through 12th grade students to create compelling video and artwork showcasing their ideas for water and energy efficiency. Teams of up to four students submitted their work, with the grand prize and honorable mention recipients each receiving wireless headphones.
Teachers emphasized the importance of sustainability education following this year’s event.
“Thank you to PPL Electric Utilities for offering this opportunity to my students,” said Ms. Nikki Giannaras from Hanover Elementary School. “They were very excited about the contest. A big congratulations to my student, Evy, on winning the Grand Prize!”
“The energy program was perfect to jump-start our class lessons on conservation and energy,” said Ms. Justine Taylor from Conestoga Christian School. “My students were excited to participate in the poster contest and were blessed to be awarded with a party when one of my students won an honorable mention. Thank you, PPL Electric Utilities, for all you do for our community!”
“I am beyond excited to share that one of my students, Cayden, was selected for an honorable mention in the PPL Electric Utilities contest!” said Ms. Nicole Szarka from Willow Lane Elementary School. “We had such an amazing time during the presentation, where my students and I learned so much about the energy industry, sustainability and how we can all make a difference. The hands-on experience and engaging activities during the visit truly inspired my students… It’s moments like these that remind me how much potential each of my students has to achieve great things.”
PPL Electric Utilities is proud to host the Bright Ideas Energy Efficiency Student Poster Contest and Innovation Challenge. Find the full list of winners below and enjoy their artwork here.
Looking for ways to find energy savings at home? Explore our getting started guide.
Poster contest pizza party at Drums Elementary School.
Poster contest honorable mention (Jacob) from Blue Mountain Elementary School.
Innovation Challenge grand prize winners (Solenne and Serafima) from Lancaster Catholic High School.
Innovation Challenge honorable mentions (Logan, Elani and Shelby) from Donegal High School.
Grades K – 2nd
Grand Prize: Liam (Ms. Melissa McGee; Drums Elementary School)
Honorable Mentions: Cayden (Ms. Nicole Szarka; Willow Lane Elementary School), Samantha (Mc. Jaclyn Tumolo; Lincoln Elementary School)
Grades 3rd – 5th
Grand Prize: Evelyn (Ms. Nikki Giannaras; Hanover Elementary School)
Honorable Mention: Jacob (Ms. Amanda Deal; Blue Mountain East Elementary School), Lila (Ms. Justine Taylor; Conestoga Christian School)
Grades 6th – 8th
Grand Prize: Lyla (Mr. Joshua Abrams; Springhouse Middle School)
Grades 9th – 12th (Innovation Challenge)
Grand Prize: Solenne and Serafima (Ms. Anne Bleistine; Lancaster Catholic High School)
Honorable Mention: Aidyn and Mitch (Mr. Mark Nebzydoski; Western Wayne High School), Logan, Elani and Shelby (Mr. Matthew Deller and Mr. Robert Swisher; Donegal High School)
Apr 9, 2025 | Community Involvement
Through the PPL Foundation’s Empowering Communities grants, we support local programs focused on education, environmental stewardship, economic development and/or workforce development. We believe that serving our communities means much more than just delivering safe and reliable electricity.
UPMC in North Central Pa. and Susquehanna Health Foundation are recent recipients of an Empowering Communities grant. The health system’s foundation is using this grant to support its nursing co-op program. The co-op graduated 11 local high schoolers on April 4 after 15 weeks of hands-on, real-world experience inside of area UPMC locations. The students come from Loyalsock, Williamsport, South Williamsport and Hughesville high schools.
We believe in supporting education and setting up students for long-term success in their careers. That’s why we have provided grants to Susquehanna Health Foundation since 2023.
“These students are getting the full experience,” said Alison Gower, program director for the co-op at UPMC Williamsport. “They work alongside the nurses and nurse aids, and work with patients on a personal level to help give them the care that they need.”
The student nurses rotate through several departments during the program, including the medical-surgical unit, emergency department, The Birthplace, Intensive Care Unit, rehabilitation, pediatrics, Operating Room and a unit of the students’ choice that they are most interested in learning more about. 
“This is something that most students don’t get to do when they’re in high school. It’s been an incredible experience,” said Abigail Lorson, a senior at South Williamsport High School. “I’ve learned that this job is about devoting yourself to the patients and making them feel as comfortable as they can be. You can’t learn this level of care in a book.”
“It’s really nice to have a program like this because it has given me a chance to try out a role before committing my career to it,” added fellow South Williamsport senior Alizabeth Schuler.”
The co-op is a paid program that gives not only hands-on experience, but a boost to the start of students’ college careers. And for those who do not pursue higher education, there are opportunities to work at UPMC after the program. Of the 44 students who have graduated from the program in the last five co-ops, 14 have been hired into care attendant positions.
“When I first started the co-op, I didn’t know where within the hospital I wanted to go,” said Michael Yoas, another senior at South Williamsport. “This showed me the areas that I liked and enjoyed, and I want to someday become a registered nurse.”
While providing care to the patients is the top priority of this co-op, it is providing clarity to the students and affirming that this career path is right for them.
“It has been everything I imagined and more; this experience clarified for me that this is what I want to do with my life,” Lorson said.
“We really appreciate our partnership with Susquehanna Health Foundation and UPMC,” said Jonah Howe, regional affairs director at PPL Electric Utilities. “This type of opportunity is so crucial to the future of healthcare and taking care of our communities, and this level of program is a perfect fit for an Empowering Communities grant.”
The latest batch of co-op students have now officially moved on from the program, but two more semesters of students will join the team next school year, beginning in the fall.
“Over the years, the students have all been very responsible and hardworking, and it’s so great to see their excitement,” Gower said. “We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from PPL, and we look forward to growing this program and educating these students.”
Mar 3, 2025 | Environment
We have a longstanding commitment to handling our business in ways that preserve and promote a clean, safe and healthy environment for all, including our wildlife.
A group of our feathered friends will be finding this out in March. A family of ospreys will soon be returning to their nest from a warm trip down south, but they’ll be returning to a new location.
Our teams in Cumberland County are working on upgrading a stretch of transmission lines along Rossmoyne Road and Interstate 76 in Mechanicsburg. Wooden poles like the one seen below are being replaced with the more reliable metal structures that surround it. This will increase reliability for customers in the Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland and West Shore areas.
The ospreys’ nest once sat on that wooden pole in the picture above. But in order to replace the pole, the nest had to be moved.
Thanks to a conscious construction and environmental team, the ospreys are being given a safer home just feet away from their original dwelling.
In early February, crews removed the osprey nest from the wooden utility pole but made sure to keep the nest intact. Meanwhile, the team ordered a 55-foot platform that was put up across the road from the power lines at the end of the month. The osprey nest is now perched on top of this platform, giving the birds a higher, 360-degree view of their habitat – and the ongoing reliability project – below.
“Ospreys use the same nest every year,” said Tom Eby, a senior environmental pro at PPL Electric overseeing the project. “When they come back to this area, they’ll notice that their nest has moved, but they’ll also notice that it isn’t far away. We’ve done projects like this in the past and we’ve seen strong results.”
Ospreys were once listed as an endangered species, and the population reached as low as a singular nest in Pennsylvania. Thanks to many efforts to reintroduce the species to the area, the population has now rebounded. Our team has partnered with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and others over the years to construct more than a dozen platforms like this.
Providing good nesting areas away from our power lines is not just good for our wildlife, it is also good for our customers’ reliability. This project is an example of the work we do year-round to build a stronger, more resilient grid.
“Increased reliability for our customers is always the goal, but building a platform for these majestic birds is icing on the cake for us,” Eby said.
The three-year transmission project is almost finished; the ospreys’ old home was perched on one of the last-standing wooden poles. The job is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. While we work, we know our eyes in the sky will be watching closely.
Nov 11, 2024 | Community Involvement, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion
Every Veterans Day, we honor all who have served in the military. Veterans at PPL Electric Utilities can join our PPLVets business resource group, which holds veteran-led meetings and events throughout the year. Through the PPL Foundation, we’re also proud to support organizations throughout our 29-county service territory that assist veterans.
The I’M ABLE Foundation is one of these organizations. The foundation is based in Wyomissing and is a recent recipient of a Powering Equity grant. I’M ABLE builds on its mission to remove obstacles for people with challenges, providing them with access to programs and equipment tailored to their needs.
In addition to providing free adaptive and inclusive group fitness programs for children, I’M ABLE also provides free fitness and mentorship opportunities for veterans though its Operation Lead from the Front program.
“The I’M ABLE Foundation is a place where people can come and get active – people of all abilities,” said Brian Sutherland, director of development for the I’M ABLE Foundation.
The foundation hosts classes at its gym twice a week and also takes part in events on select weekends. While the childrens’ and veterans’ fitness classes bring in different audiences, veterans have the opportunity to take part in mentoring and helping children in the foundation’s I’M FIT classes.
Jason Kish is a military veteran who has become a mentor for two children in the I’M FIT class.
“It just makes my life more enriched, just to get away from my normal day-to-day routine,” Kish said. “This is something that’s just hard to describe – how rewarding it is.”
A photo of Kish (left) and Josh (right) during one of the program’s I’M FIT classes.
Since I’M ABLE began hosting classes, attendance has jumped from an average of five participants to 40 per class. Sutherland says that this jump is thanks to donors like the PPL Foundation that make this programming free.
“You guys giving back to the community and making this possible for people of all abilities – it makes a difference,” he said. “All these kids can come together and just be celebrated for who they are and what they can do.”
“The work that they are doing to advance inclusivity in our community is so important,” said Kelly Palmer, PPL Electric Utilities regional affairs director. “It’s really meeting a community need, and it’s exactly the type of program we would want to fund through the Powering Equity grant. We are proud to support the I’M ABLE Foundation, and we are proud to support our veterans.”
Nov 7, 2024 | Community Involvement
As a staple of central and eastern Pennsylvania for over 100 years, we understand the critical importance of economic development. Through our growth as a company, we have powered businesses and empowered growth within communities throughout our 29-county service area.
We are committed to doing what we can to not only attract new businesses to our region, but also supporting the existing businesses and communities that have helped make Pennsylvania what it is today.
One of the ways we support our communities is through the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development’s (DCED) Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP). Whether it’s affordable housing, community services, crime prevention, job training or neighborhood assistance, we’re helping support nonprofit agencies working to better their neighborhoods through community development projects. We have been a long-time participant in the NPP program, and we value the positive impact this approach makes in each community.
We are currently assisting six nonprofits across Lancaster, Wilkes-Barre and the Greater Lehigh Valley.
“We could not have the level of beautification that we’ve had in downtown Wilkes-Barre without the assistance of PPL’s NPP contributions,” said Larry Newman, executive director of Wilkes-Barre’s Diamond City Partnership. “Having the partnership with PPL and other contributors allows us to leverage resources and punch far above our weight.”
Here are the six organizations we’re currently partnered with:
Community Action Development of Allentown (CADA) – Upside Allentown
We are involved in a six-year partnership with Upside Allentown to provide support for several youth-serving organizations in distressed Allentown neighborhoods:
- Generation Next at William Allen High School
- AfterZone, Allentown’s after-school initiative
- Allentown Police Department’s Youth Police Academy
- James Lawson Freedom School
Support through our partnership also includes the acquisition and renovation of a community center.
Community Action Development of Bethlehem – Southside Tomorrow
Our six-year partnership with Southside tomorrow seeks to address a number of community-based needs:
- A lack of quality, affordable renter and owner-occupied housing in an area of Bethlehem with the highest percentage of cost-burdened homeowners and renters
- A lack of access to fresh food and grocery stores
- A lack of vegetation and green spaces, as well as quality parks and recreational outlets
- A need for improved lighting and walkability of south Bethlehem
- A need for more connection between the community and the community’s institutions
- Challenges with cleanliness
Diamond City Partnership – Wilkes-Barre
“We work to improve downtown Wilkes-Barre’s environment, image and economy,” Newman said. “We have goals to help improve these areas. The downtown is still feeling the impacts from COVID, and NPP funding is helping us achieve our goals more broadly and at a higher level.”
Our six-year partnership with the Diamond City Partnership supports the nonprofit’s efforts to revitalize and beautify downtown Wilkes-Barre.
“Our goal is to shape a downtown that is a point of pride for everyone in our region, not just the downtown,” Newman said. “You simply cannot have a healthy community or region without a healthy downtown at its core. That’s what drives us every day.”
The organization was highlighted in a recent announcement for the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP). The partnership program is a part of the NAP. In an event held at the Diamond City Partnership, Pennsylvania announced it would be doubling its funding for the NAP program from $36 million to $72 million.
An alley in downtown Wilkes-Barre (left) was cleaned up and revitalized by the Diamond City Partnership. It has been repurposed into the SOMA Arts District (right), a new space for citygoers to visit and enjoy. This project was completed thanks in part to NPP funding.
“It was a chance to showcase to the Commonwealth and the media just what these partnerships can accomplish,” Newman said. “And we’re just very pleased and happy with the support that PPL has provided us because they understand how important this work is. They’ve been there for us.”
Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
“At the base of our partnership is helping people meet their basic needs,” said Raymond Santiago, executive director of the Hispanic Center. “Meeting these needs allows people to flourish in their education, careers and family life, which in turn helps make a positive impact in the Lehigh Valley.”
Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley is supported on a year-to-year basis through the NAP program. We support economic recovery efforts serving vulnerable populations, with a focus on providing bilingual services to Hispanic/Latino residents. We are also supporting:
- A new bilingual Cultural and Linguistic Workforce Development Center
- The Social Service Program’s case management services
- Programming to support older adults’ health and wellness at the Hispanic Center’s senior center
- Meeting an increased demand for emergency food at the center’s food pantry
“We understand the importance of the work we do in making sure these groups are an active piece of the future of the Lehigh Valley,” Santiago said. “Right now, we’re able to meet the need of the community because of funding from PPL and our other partners.”
Spanish American Civic Association (SACA) – Tec Centro
Our six-year partnership with SACA’s Tec Centro program helps provide basic education and job training to low-income Latino individuals in Lancaster. The funding has helped SACA create two new occupational training areas for broadband training and renewable energy. Funding has also been used to invest in affordable housing, which is helping balance over-gentrification in the community. Furthermore, these contributions have been used to help leverage additional investments from Lancaster City and Lancaster County totaling $1 million. These investments will help develop a welding and metal fabrication occupational training area at Tec Centro.
Tenfold
We also have a six-year partnership with Lancaster’s Tenfold. Tenfold serves low-income residents of the City of Lancaster and Columbia Borough to help those experiencing housing and financial instability due to rising costs, stagnant wages and the aftermath of a global pandemic. The organization is using NPP funds to:
- Make critical home repairs to homeowners
- Support local affordable housing projects
- Provide eviction prevention assistance
The funds are also being used by Tenfold’s Financial Empowerment Center to provide one-on-one financial counseling, as well as workshops on budgeting, savings, improving credit scores and first-time homebuyer’s courses.
We take great pride in our NPP partnerships, and in the work that these organizations are doing to help build up their communities. We also know that these effects will be felt well beyond those directly impacted by these partnerships. A commitment to economic development is a commitment to community, and we look forward to continuing to support the places where we live and work.
“Even before I began working with the Hispanic Center, I worked closely with PPL on a number of campaigns,” Santiago said. “I know how much they care. It’s not only about the financial support, but also the time and talent that PPL employees donate.”
