TVA Partners in Education School Names Student of the Year

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May 13, 2010, 05:01 ET

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year's TVA Partners in Education Student of the Year at Christenberry Elementary School is fifth-grader Mya Sullivan.

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TVA's Partners in Education school program recognizes a student who reflects the TVA values of integrity, respect, accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, honest communication and flexibility.

"Mya has shown the willingness to work hard while being respectful of her fellow classmates and of faculty and staff," said Vyrone Cravanas, senior manager of TVA Diversity and Inclusion, during an awards ceremony at the school.

"We are very proud of Mya. She has improved her grades throughout the year and has a great work ethic that each student should possess. Christenberry is lucky to have the quality of students we do and particularly those like Mya who go the extra mile to be responsible and accountable for their actions," said Christenberry Elementary School Assistant Principal Melissa Blalock.

The Partners in Education program assists schools to provide a quality education to help students gain the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of the work force of the future.

At the ceremony, awards were also announced for the Students With Academic Tenacity program or SWAT. TVA police officers, in their SWAT gear, were present to thank 205 students who joined the SWAT team this year. The SWAT program is designed to highlight, motivate and reward academic achievement among elementary school students.

"We are excited that so many students are on the SWAT team," Blalock said. "Their participation and eagerness to learn will only help them as they move through school and eventually into the business world. The faculty's work to get kids motivated to learn and excel is a large part of the success of this program."

For the SWAT program, the school establishes an academic baseline and point system to measure academic improvement in each student. A student's grades are reviewed after each grading cycle and points are assigned, depending on how much grades go up or down. Students who demonstrate academic improvement are invited to join the SWAT team. Students that make SWAT three out of four grading periods receive a certificate and a SWAT T-shirt at the end-of-year ceremony.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. TVA operates 29 hydroelectric dams, 11 coal-fired power plants, three nuclear plants and 11 natural gas-fired power facilities and supplies up to 36,000 megawatts of electricity, delivered over 16,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, land management and recreation for the Tennessee River system and works with local utilities and state and local governments to promote economic development across the region. TVA, which makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money, is funded by sales of electricity to its customers. Electricity prices in TVA's service territory are below the national average.

SOURCE Tennessee Valley Authority