READING, Pa., Oct. 9, 2012 -- FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) announced today that 18 teachers representing 15 Pennsylvania schools and clubs have been awarded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Grants. The grants, of up to $500 each, will be used for a variety of hands-on projects, workshops and teacher development programs throughout the school year.

Grant winners include: Jason Zalno, Exeter Junior High School, Exeter; Brian Hastings, Spring Grove Area High School, Spring Grove; Bonnie Blatt, Monocacy Elementary Center, Birdsboro; Sid Harwood, Daniel Boone High School, Birdsboro; Shannon W. Helzer, Daniel Boone High School, Birdsboro; Lindsey S. Dahl, Diehl Elementary School, Erie; Doreen Petri, Northwest PA Collegiate Academy, Erie; Michael Beiter, Central Tech Career and Technical School, Erie; Michele Stubenbort, Our Lady's Christian School, Erie; Jeffrey J. Kuntz, Punxsutawney Area Middle School, Punxsutawney; Barbara E. Knecht, Boys & Girls Club of Somerset County, Somerset; William H. Hughes, Park Forest Middle School, State College; Shaun R. Valente, Laurel Highlands Middle School, Uniontown; Pete Cardamone, Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology School, Latrobe; Renee Reich and Tammy Fleming, Jeannette Mckee Middle School, Jeannette; Lisa Gray, Colfax Upper Elementary School, Springdale; Sue Melton, Colfax Upper Elementary School, Springdale.

"FirstEnergy is proud to provide these grants to our winning teachers to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics for our students," said Dee Lowery, vice president of Corporate Affairs and Community Involvement and president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. "Each year, we receive outstanding applications and again this year had a difficult time choosing the winners."

FirstEnergy offers grants up to $500 to individual teachers and administrators at schools served by its electric utility operating companies and where it has facilities.

Grant recipients are recommended by local educators who make up FirstEnergy's Educational Advisory Council. As part of the program, recipients must furnish a written summary and evaluation of their projects that can be shared with other educators in FirstEnergy's service area.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. Its generation subsidiaries control more than 20,000 megawatts of capacity from a diversified mix of scrubbed coal, non-emitting nuclear, natural gas, hydro, pumped-storage hydro and other renewables. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.