JONESBOROUGH, Tennessee. – Washington County announced today that Sulphur Springs Elementary School has been selected to win a STEAM Grant through the TVA EnergyRight School Uplift program.
Tight budgets and aging buildings leave many schools facing a difficult decision between funding learning programs and making needed facility upgrades that can lower energy costs and improve health and comfort. TVA’s School Uplift program partnered with local power companies across seven states to help 64 public schools tackle energy waste this school year.
School Uplift is a year-long energy management training program developed with the State of Tennessee’s Energy Efficient Schools Initiative that helps public schools make smart energy choices that improve the classroom learning environment and save money through decreased energy use.
“School Uplift is another great example of TVA and BrightRidge’s investment in our community,” said school principal, Dr. David Little. “We learned so much through this program about how to make our school more efficient and comfortable, and I’m proud of our staff and students whose efforts earned this grant. We plan on investing the grant money in our Career Connection Labs that will improve our facility and make Sulphur Springs an even better place for all students to learn and thrive.”
Sulphur Springs joins over 118 schools to have completed School Uplift over the past three years, competing to earn grants for building upgrades and other learning environment improvements. On average, participating schools save nearly 10% on their annual energy bills from behavior changes alone.
“Every dollar invested in our schools helps districts allocate resources to where it matters most – educating our children,” said Monika Beckner, vice president of TVA’s Energy Services & Programs. “We’re inspired by the winners of this year’s School Uplift grants and proud of their dedication to reducing energy waste and building a sustainable future for us all.”
TVA EnergyRight and BrightRidge are currently recruiting public K-12 schools for the 2025-2026 school year. Visit https://energyright.com/business-industry/school-uplift/ to express interest in participating in this exciting program.
About Sulphur Springs
Our faculty and staff are dedicated to providing our students with the very best learning experiences and opportunities. We have long recognized that our children must be prepared as they transition to each grade level k-12 and beyond. In order to best serve our students, we provide everyone in the building with high expectations for their learning and deep engagement in every classroom.
Sulphur Springs School was a TVAAS Level 5 schoolwide in academic growth for the 2021-2022 school year. Sulphur Springs boasts two Career Connections STEAM Labs: The MindCave in the library media center with a focus on K-4 and the CTE Lab for grades 5-8.
S2 STEAM Leaders are Empowered to Solve Problems is our school-wide vision statement. This means we encourage everyone in the building to be a leader, and we feel as though students should be empowered to solve problems. We have trust in our students; we provide them with regular and attainable goals; we encourage creativity; we provide resources beyond students' reach; we appreciate new ideas; we have a purpose; we support growth opportunities; we have a culture of shared responsibilities, and we encourage teamwork and partnerships.
About TVA
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to 10 million people across seven southeastern states. TVA was established 90 years ago to serve this region and the nation by developing innovative solutions to solve complex challenges. TVA’s unique mission focuses on energy, environmental stewardship, and economic development. With one of the largest, most diverse, and cleanest energy systems – including nuclear, hydro, solar, gas, and advanced technologies – TVA is a leader in our nation’s drive toward a clean energy future.
TVA is a corporate agency of the United States, receiving no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation, and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation. Learn more at Energy System of the Future.