ATLANTA, Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today that for the sixth consecutive year it has joined with the nonprofit organization Voices for Georgia's Children, as well as other notable Georgia businesses, to support the ninth annual Georgia Pre-K Week across the state, Oct. 7-11.

During the weeklong celebration, Pre-K centers open their doors to elected officials, business and community leaders and invite them to experience firsthand the high-quality education taking place in classrooms every day. In 2018, Georgia Power employees read to more than 92 Pre-K classes and reached approximately 2,000 students as a part of Pre-K week. Georgia Power leaders also have the opportunity to tour the centers and read to students.

"Reading is fundamental to future academic success, and reading programs, such as the Georgia Pre-K Week, provide a great opportunity to increase awareness for the importance of quality early education," said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "We believe education is foundational to building a bright future for our state and that's why we are committed to strengthening academic performance in Georgia, specifically in the area of STEM education."

"The support of public and private organizations sends a powerful statement to the community about the value of quality early learning," said Dr. Erica Fener Sitkoff, executive director of Voices for Georgia's Children. "Over the past six years, Georgia Power has played a vital role in providing our students with a solid start by raising awareness for the early education of Georgia's children."

Georgia Power's Learning Power Program Georgia Power is in classrooms across the state all year long, not just during Pre-K Week. In fact, Georgia Power's Learning Power program has reached more than 715,000 students since its inception in 2011. Through the program, education coordinators visit Georgia schools to present hands-on, STEM-related energy and energy efficiency lessons that reinforce Georgia Standards of Excellence and make students, educators and parents aware of energy and efficiency opportunities and careers. For more information visit www.learningpower.org.

For more information about how the company is working to advance education and build the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow, visit www.georgiapower.com/community. For more information about Voices for Georgia's Children and Georgia Pre-K Week, visit www.georgiavoices.org.

About Georgia PowerGeorgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

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SOURCE Georgia Power