For the second quarter of 2017, Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., donated over $22,000 to schools and programs in the communities where it operates. Including the 2017 first quarter donations of nearly $34,000, the company's mid-year contributions to community organizations total approximately $56,000.

"One of our top priorities is to be a great asset to our communities," said Steve Kuczynski, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear. "We want residents to feel that our presence enhances their quality of life and makes our communities stronger. We also support educational programs for local youth, who we hope will be part of our future workforce."

Southern Nuclear's charitable giving program has four focus areas: health and human services; education; civic, cultural and community; and environmental. Applications are sponsored by company employees and reviewed monthly by the charitable giving committee.

Employees from Plant Vogtle presented a $4,500 check to Augusta Technical College for the purchase of new computers for the Nuclear Engineering Technology program.

"Our primary partner, Southern Nuclear, has been intimately involved with the Nuclear Engineering Technology program from the very beginning with oversight support, technical subject matter expertise, recruitment activities and equipment resources," said NET Department Head Robert Collins. "Their recent donation is just one of many ways that Southern Nuclear and Plant Vogtle have supported the program on an ongoing basis."

When plans to expand Plant Vogtle were first announced nearly ten years ago, Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear leadership recognized the need to ensure the availability of qualified workers. This resulted in the company partnering with Augusta Technical College to develop and implement the two-year NET program.

"We are fortunate to have 48 NET alumni as part of the Vogtle workforce," said Southern Nuclear Workforce Development Coordinator Nora Swanson. "We continue to hire high caliber graduates from the Augusta Tech program. We're also pleased by alumni efforts to educate and recruit the next generation of workers with the same passion they have dedicated to become part of the industry themselves." 

Southern Nuclear's 2017 second-quarter charitable contributions:

Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Ala. It is a public, partially residential high school with six specialties including music, visual arts, theatre arts, creative writing, math and science, and dance. Our charitable contribution will support math and science projects for the upcoming school year.

Augusta Technical College in Augusta, Ga. It operates under the supervision of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education, serving the needs of business, industry and the public in a five-county area in east central Georgia. Our charitable contribution will purchase computers for the Nuclear Engineering Technology program.

Boys and Girls Club of Toombs County. It serves nearly 500 youth in two locations in Lyons and Vidalia, Ga. Our charitable contribution will support the annual campaign.

Dothan Technology Center in Dothan, Ala. It provides students with training and education they can apply to getting careers immediately out of high school or that they can build upon in related college courses. Our charitable contribution will purchase a 3-D printer for pre-engineering classes.

Georgia School for Innovation and the Classics in Hephzibah, Ga. It is a public charter school that delivers a classical education centered on the three phases of the classical Trivium: grammar (grades 1-4), logic (grades 5-8), and rhetoric (grades 9-12) with an employment of the Socratic method throughout the classroom experience. Our charitable contribution will purchase computer tablets for classrooms.

Girard Middle School in Dothan, Ala. Our charitable contribution will purchase STEM equipment for the school's science program.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Augusta, Ga. It exists to find cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Our charitable contribution will support the 2017 Man and Woman of the Year campaign.

Pinewood Christian Academy in Bellville, Ga. It offers a quality education in a Christian environment and enrolls 585 students in grades K3 through twelfth from 13 different counties including Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long, Tattnall, Toombs and Wayne. Our charitable contribution will help purchase lab equipment.

SRS Community Reuse Program in Graniteville, SC. It works to diversify the economy of a five-county region of Georgia and South Carolina including Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell in South Carolina and Richmond (Augusta) and Columbia counties in Georgia. Our charitable contribution will support the 2017 STEM Career Connections event.

Screven-Jenkins Regional Library System with libraries in Sylvania and Millen, Ga. Our charitable contribution supported the summer reading program.

The Community Foundation Neighborhood Renewal in Augusta, Ga. It serves as administrator of a community endowment, a collection of gifts, large and small, unrestricted and donor advised, given to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie and Burke counties in Georgia, and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. Our charitable contribution will provide scholarships for students entering STEM degree programs.