Foundation News
GSSM Foundation Receives $25,000 Grant from AdvanceSC
December 10, 2006
AdvanceSC, funded with profits from Duke Energy's Bulk Power Marketing program (BPM) and managed by an independent board of directors, recently provided a $25,000 grant to the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) Foundation for its Summer Program for Research Interns (SPRI).
SPRI is a statewide outreach program designed to pair GSSM's academically talented students with scientist mentors in research and development labs across the state for a six-week internship in a variety of fields including biomedical, nanotechnology and alternate fields of engineering. Non-GSSM students from other public, private or homeschooled settings also are encouraged to participate following a detailed application process.
"The board of AdvanceSC receives many applications from worthy organizations on a quarterly basis," said Robert M. Hitt, president of AdvanceSC. "The GSSM Foundation shares the goals Duke Energy used in establishing our organization, and we're privileged to partner with them in order to benefit so many people in our community."
AdvanceSC supports education, economic growth, existing manufacturing and public assistance agencies in Duke Energy's South Carolina service area. Established as a limited liability company by Duke Energy in 2004, AdvanceSC is funded with profits from the company's BPM program and is managed by a board of Upstate S.C. leaders. The fund administrator is Wachovia Charitable Services, Greenville, S.C.
The board of directors makes all grant decisions and awards funds to the following types of organizations:
- High school, technical and community colleges and university programs that support manufacturing or economic development;
- Economic development programs via existing partnerships, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations to attract new or expanding industries; and
- Existing industrial customers to increase productivity, reliability, cost control, efficiency or to positively impact the environment.
Grant applications and information about AdvanceSC are available on the Internet at www.advancesc.org.
