Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power today announced 35 schools from across the company’s service territory as recipients of 2016 Environmental Education Grants. The grants will be used by teachers to assist with environmental education projects at their schools.

Nearly 180 schools from the company’s 23-county service territory were provided information at the beginning of the school year about the grant program and how to apply. Funding could be requested for worthy environmental education projects up to $1,000. The 35 winning schools will each claim a share of the $15,000 available for funding.

“Mississippi Power encourages hands-on indoor and outdoor classroom activities to engage students in environmental study,” Environmental Affairs Director Mark Loughman said. “Hundreds of students will have an opportunity to participate in and learn from the great projects these teachers have proposed.”

Mississippi Power’s Environmental Stewardship Council – a group of employees focused on promoting conservation-related projects – reviewed the project proposals and will be presenting the winning schools with their funds before the end of 2016.

“Environmental stewardship is important to the employees at Mississippi Power,” Loughman said. “We believe in nurturing the next generation of environmental visionaries. We hope these projects will foster an interest in environmental and engineering sciences, and promote stewardship across south Mississippi.”

2016 Environmental Education Grant recipients:

Coast Division

•Kelly Pennell, Biloxi (Nativity BVM Elementary School)

•Marie Papale, Biloxi (Nativity BVM Elementary School)

•Tara Rouse, Lucedale (L.C. Hatcher Elementary School)

•Anne Wolford, Gulfport (Anniston Elementary School)

•Millicent Gunter, Gulfport (Bayou View Elementary School)

•Patricia Johnson, Gulfport (West Harrison High School)

•Deborah Holt, Long Beach (Harper McCaughan Elementary School)

•Dennis Shows, Long Beach (Long Beach High School)

•Billy Carroll, Moss Point (Career and Technical Center)

•Linda Foster, Ocean Springs (Ocean Springs Upper Elementary School)

•Kim Dahl, Ocean Springs (Pecan Park Elementary School)

•Cindy Grammar, Biloxi (Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School)

•Leigh Hanna and Victoria Waltman, Pascagoula (Pascagoula High School)

•Nicole McCardle, Poplarville (Poplarville Lower Elementary School)

•Harriet Bellone, Bay St. Louis (St. Stanislaus College)

Pine Belt Division

•Danielle Whittington, Columbia (Columbia Elementary School)

•Stephanie Stringer, Columbia (Columbia Primary School)

•Angie Lawhon, Seminary (Seminary Elementary School)

•Patricia Gingrich, Seminary (Seminary Middle School)

•Amanda Lawler, Brooklyn (Forrest County Agr. High School)

•Latisha Woodard, Hattiesburg (Hawkins Elementary School)

•Della Watson, Hattiesburg (Hawkins Elementary School)

•Dominique Hilton, Hattiesburg (Hawkins Elementary School)

•LaDisha Moore, Hattiesburg (Woodley Elementary School)

•Melody Hicks, Laurel (Moselle Elementary School)

•Kristy Hawthorn, Purvis (Lamar Christian School)

•Jenyck Litolff, Purvis (Purvis Lower Elementary School)

•Jamie Sorrell, Sumrall (Sumrall High School)

•Julie Lee, Sumrall (Sumrall Middle School)

•Leah King, Laurel (Maddox Elementary School)

•Irene Evans, Laurel (Mason Elementary School)

•Miche Jordan, Laurel (Mason Elementary School)

•Natasha McDonald, Laurel (Oak Park Elementary School)

•Kristy Olson, Laurel (Oak Park Elementary School)

•Peggy Robinson, Laurel (Oak Park Elementary School)

•Shanetra Addae, Laurel (Oak Park Elementary School)

•Christina Phillipson, Taylorsville (Taylorsville Attendance Center)

•Tonda Farrior, Waynesboro (Wayne Co. Career and Technical Center)

Meridian Division

•Courtney Ashcraft, Meridian (Northeast Elementary School)

•Sheri Thornton, Meridian (Northeast Middle School)

•Steven Shadwick, Meridian (Magnolia Middle School)

•Paige Posey, Carthage (Leake Central High School)

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power earned the 2015 ReliabilityOne^TM Award for outstanding midsize utility for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts as well as being a leader in reliability, customer service and safety. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com and mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.

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