Twenty-five schools and nonprofit organizations across the state will receive conservation education grants through the Alabama Power Foundation’s “Students to Stewards” program.

The Students to Stewards grants, totaling more than $40,000, are being awarded in celebration of 15 years of Renew Our Rivers, the nationally recognized river cleanup program created and supported by Alabama Power.

“Students to Stewards is a great example of the Alabama Power Foundation’s ongoing commitment to conservation education,” said Matt Bowden, foundation board member and Alabama Power’s vice president of Environmental Affairs.

Through a competitive application process, Students to Stewards provides support for educational programs designed to teach students about the importance of our state’s ecosystems. The program will help expand education initiatives designed to build awareness and appreciation for Alabama’s natural resources.

A range of projects are being funded through Students to Stewards, from outdoor classrooms, to field studies, to the purchase of conservation-related classroom materials.

This year’s winners of the Students to Stewards grants are:

• Alabama Wildlife Center (Birmingham)
• Anniston Museum Endowment Corp.
• Ashland Elementary School (Clay County Board of Education)
• Blount County Education Foundation
• Brookwood High School (Tuscaloosa County School System)
• Childersburg Elementary School
• Clay-Chalkville High School
• Fayetteville School Foundation (Sylacauga)
• Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation
• George W. Long Elementary School (Skipperville)
• Hidden Lake Elementary School (Dothan)
• Hollinger’s Island Elementary School (Mobile)
• Ivalee Elementary School (Attalla)
• J.B. Pennington High School Alumni Association (Blountsville)
• Keep Etowah Beautiful (Gadsden)
• Lakewood Elementary Science Magnet School (Phenix City)
• Munford High School
• Pearl Haskew Elementary School (Irvington)
• Pell City Board of Education Prattville Primary School
• Sylacauga City Schools Board of Education
• Tanner Williams Elementary School (Wilmer)
• Taylor-White Elementary School (Mobile)
• The Environmental Studies Center (Mobile County Public Schools)
• The Southern Environmental Center, Birmingham-Southern College.

Conservation education is one of three focus areas for the foundation’s Brighter Minds initiative. Brighter Minds also focuses on strengthening early childhood learning, as well as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and workforce development.

The Alabama Power Foundation is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2014. Since its creation in 1989 with shareholder funds, the foundation has provided Alabama communities, educational institutions and nonprofits more than $150 million in support with non-ratepayer money through more than 20,000 grants and scholarships. Learn more about the foundation at www.powerofgood.com.