$10K Duke Energy grant supports FSU PC’s ASCENT

A $10,000 grant from Duke Energy will support a new educational partnership between Florida State University Panama City’s ASCENT program, the Franklin County School District, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The grant will cover costs associated with expanding Integrated Technology Clubs to Franklin County schools and providing entrepreneurship courses to inmates in the Franklin County Jail.

ASCENT (Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies) is a 10-year, $23 million project partially funded by Triumph Gulf Coast Inc., designed to contribute to the development of a strong, regional workforce in cybersecurity and new technologies. Projects focus on increasing the interest of K-12 students in engineering, computer science, information technology and cybersecurity fields; expanding undergraduate degree programs at FSU Panama City; and delivering training courses and testing to meet the workforce needs of the community.

“We listen to the needs of the community and figure out a way to address them and make it happen,” said ASCENT Director Suzanne Remedies. “We are successful because of the relationships that we’ve built and the connections we’ve made in the community.”

The Community Partnership grant from Duke Energy’s Energy Education and Universities strategy will make matching funds available from the Triumph grant.

“This (grant) reflects our clear intent to invest in impactful, forward-looking initiatives that expand access to energy education and strengthen university partnerships across the communities we serve,” said Loretta Murray, foundation manager for Duke Energy Florida. “We are purposeful in aligning our support with organizations that demonstrate strong leadership, measurable outcomes, and a commitment to advancing these shared priorities.”

For more information about ASCENT, visit pc.fsu.edu/ascent. For details on the Duke Energy Foundation, visit foundation.duke-energy.com.