Today, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), on behalf of the AEP Foundation and in collaboration with the Foundation for Tulsa Schools and Tulsa Public Schools, announced an additional grant that will bring funding of Community Schools initiatives and the expansion of TPS’ literacy programs to $195,000. With that, the company’s total contribution statewide to education initiatives preschool through Grade 12, such as grants, teacher workshops and other education outreach efforts now totals nearly $2 million over the past 10 years.

The additional contribution was announced today at the very first "Schools Uniting Communities" conference, a gathering of about 300 educators and community members who are committed to community schools in Tulsa.

"PSO and the AEP Foundation are committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families in the communities where we live," said Stuart Solomon, president and chief operating officer, Public Service Company of Oklahoma. "The Community Schools approach is designed to promote academic success for students and their families who live in poverty by removing the barriers to success. By placing schools at the heart of our communities and integrating needed critical services, our children can focus on being successful in the classroom. We are pleased to know that we can make a difference through this important initiative."

"Also, we are very proud to make note that with this additional donation to TPS, the AEP Foundation and PSO, together, have contributed nearly $2 million over the past

10 years across the state to education programs from preschool through high school," Solomon added.

"We are so grateful to PSO and the AEP Foundation," said Lucky Lamons, president and CEO of The Foundation for Tulsa Schools. "The company’s generosity toward TPS and including education program funding statewide helps our children learn and experience valuable lessons that will lead to their success long after their formal education ends."

PSO was one of the premier corporate citizens to fund and support preschool education programs to give students a solid foundation as they start kindergarten. Recently, PSO, with the help of the AEP Foundation, launched new teacher and science student workshops. PSO and the AEP Foundation have donated dollars for early childhood literacy programs across the state and funded classroom grants and other educational programs for grades Pre-K through 12, over the past 10 years.

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. With headquarters in Tulsa, PSO has 4,321 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles. News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at www.PSOklahoma.com.