Vero Beach, Fla. – Excitement filled the air as the doors swung open to reveal a remarkable classroom transformation. Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) joined Education Foundation of Indian River County and the Indian River School District to celebrate the completion of the STEM Classroom Makeover at Gifford Middle School in Vero Beach.

The $50,000 grant from FPL allowed Gifford Middle School to incorporate cutting-edge technology, including 3D Printers, robotics kits and two drones, creating an immersive learning experience. The redesigned classroom now boasts new STEM technology which will help enhance student engagement and foster creativity.

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support and generosity of FPL,” said Dr. Chadwick Bacon, Principal at Gifford Middle School. “This grant has not only transformed our classroom physically but has also inspired our students and rejuvenated our entire school community. We sincerely thank FPL for its commitment to STEM education and for championing initiatives that enhance the learning experience for our students.”

To mark this significant milestone, FPL and partners hosted a ceremony at Gifford Middle to showcase the transformed classroom and witness the positive impact of education in the lives of local students. FPL engineers led students in a generator build competition showing students how to create energy.

“We firmly believe in the power of education and the difference it can make in the lives of young individuals,” said Pam Rauch, FPL Vice President of External Affairs and Economic Development. “We are thrilled to be able to contribute to creating a dynamic learning atmosphere for the students of Gifford Middle. This classroom transformation represents our ongoing commitment to support education and provide students with the tools they need to thrive.

FPL’s STEM Classroom Makeover Grant program, now in its fourth year, provides grants for $50,000 each to up to five schools in Florida to provide transformational learning opportunities in historically underrepresented and/or under-served K-12 classrooms. Funds are available to address needs in infrastructure, technology or resources that will advance STEM curricula, exposure and careers to diverse students in a classroom setting.

For more information about FPL’s STEM Classroom Makeover Grant and its commitment to education, please visit FPL.com/ClassroomGrant

Florida Power & Light Company

  As America’s largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light Company serves more customers and sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.9 million accounts, or more than 12 million people. FPL operates one of the most fuel efficient and cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S. and in 2022 won the ReliabilityOne^® National Reliability Award for the seventh time in the last eight years. The company was also recognized by Escalent in 2022 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities for the ninth consecutive year. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2023 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” and recognized on Fortune’s 2021 list of companies that “Change the World.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com,www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.