Power of Good

A PowerofGood.com | Summer 2014 1 AlAbAmA is blessed with schools that can stand alongside any in the coun- try. In 2013, Newsweek magazine ranked 20 Alabama schools among its top 2,000 high schools in the nation. Just last fall, the U.S. Depart- ment of Education chose six Alabama schools as winners of the prestigious Blue Ribbon award. But many, many more schools in our state struggle. Alabama is one of just a handful of states with math and science scores below the international average, according to the Nation's Report Card. Alabama students rank 47th among states in math, and our fourth- and eighth-graders rank 43rd and 49th, respectively, in science. Our children are our most pre- cious resource. We are cheating them – and our state's future – when they are denied a world-class education. It is a problem that is unacceptable. It is a problem that demands a solution. And it is a problem far larger than the state's public schools have been able to solve. For years, the Alabama Power Foundation has tried to do its part, mainly through millions of dollars in education grants and scholarships. Now, as we ready to celebrate our 25th anniversary this fall, the founda- tion is doing even more. On June 16, we hosted the Brighter Minds Education Summit in Birmingham, which featured state Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice as the keynote speaker. At the event, we unveiled the Brighter Minds strategy of focusing on areas we believe will create the biggest bang for our bucks in Alabama's K-12 schools: Early childhood education, which for every dollar invested saves manifold down the road; classes that teach students about conserva- tion and stewardship; and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses and workforce development scholarships that will help students toward college or good- paying careers in technical fields or the skilled trades. Bice, by the way, is a Brighter Minds backer, telling the summit audience that the state's plan for improving K-12 schools "fits per- fectly with what Brighter Minds has in mind." The education summit was the first of two noteworthy events for the Alabama Power Foundation this summer, setting the stage for what will follow with our second Elevate conference. Last year, recall, we invited many of our grantees to Montgomery for our inaugural Elevate event. The idea was to connect nonprofit groups that are focused on working to bring per- manent, positive change to Alabama. Before the event, we asked you questions to help us understand your concerns and plan our program. More than half of you in our survey said the biggest threat to the state's future success is poor education. That result definitely played a role in how we developed the Brighter Minds program. We also asked you for feedback after the first Elevate conference, and we are using that information to shape this year's program. Be sure to mark your calendars for Aug. 20. We will meet from noon to 7:30 p.m. that day at the Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Montgomery. Alabama has a long way to go on so many issues, including education. It's easy to see why some people can become discouraged. But I believe that community leaders, nonprofits and the Alabama Power Foundation can bring a brighter future to Ala- bama. We can share great ideas and work together to ensure those ideas happen. With a strong vision, pas- sion, and dedication, we can elevate our state. John O. Hudson III Vice president, Public Relations and Chari- table Giving; president, Alabama Power Foundation; executive director, Alabama Business Charitable Trust Fund. the goodnews

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