Meet the Investors: Duke Energy

I know firsthand the opportunity that comes from a strong public education system.

My grandparents were the first in my family to leave the farm and go to college, which opened new doors for the following generations. I am a beneficiary of their passion to pursue their education and proudly received 20 years of public education in North Carolina, from grade school through grad school. Today, our strong public education system, particularly here in Wake County, continues to provide this same opportunity and hope for families and their children.

Providing educational opportunity is not only a passion of mine, but it is also one of the Duke Energy Foundation’s core investment priorities. At Duke Energy, we recognize that our company is only as successful as the customers and communities we serve. Education is the cornerstone to this success, and we all have a stake in building a stronger educational foundation for the future.

Our Foundation’s commitment to education focuses on programs that enhance early childhood literacy and foster a growing interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Working with WakeEd Partnership, we are able to make a real difference in both of these critical areas.

WakeEd’s early childhood literacy model engages families in their children’s reading process in an effort to close the achievement gap and end the cycle of poverty that often separates low-income students from their peers. Additionally, their STEM programs connect educators and employers to enable project-based learning and STEM career pathway development for students in Wake County. By focusing on early childhood literacy and STEM, our communities will continue growing and producing skilled workers who bring new ideas and innovation to our lives.

The responsibility to ensure that all students are prepared for the future falls on each of us, but as the saying goes, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” WakeEd Partnership embodies this philosophy. For more than 30 years, WakeEd Partnership has brought businesses and community partners together – actively listening, collaborating and working – to give our children a solid learning foundation that will carry them into the next stages of their lives. Duke Energy is proud to be a partner in this effort.

We strongly believe that bright futures begin in the classroom – and that every child should have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. Duke Energy is proud to be a part of powering vibrant communities here in Wake County, the Triangle and across the state through our commitment to education and community development. We look forward to continuing our work with great organizations like WakeEd Partnership to support and strengthen our education system and create greater opportunities for the generations to come.

David Fountain

North Carolina State President

Duke Energy