Service Authority Wins PWC Schools' Partner Of The Year

The Prince William County Service Authority has won the Prince William County School’s 2018 Business Partnership of the Year: Community Partner of the Year Award.

The Service Authority’s Community Relations & Outreach Department was recognized for this achievement at the May 16 School Board meeting. In addition, the utility will be honored at Supporting Partnerships and Resources for Kids’ (SPARK) annual Superintendent’s Business Breakfast this fall and will be featured on the school’s and SPARK’s respective websites.

The Service Authority worked closely with the school system in 2017-18, interacting with more than 8,000 students of all ages in a variety of engaging educational platforms. Penn Elementary School nominated the utility for this award after the Service Authority presented to their students, and gave presentations at their Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Night and to their First Lego League Robotics teams.

In addition to working with Penn, the utility’s outreach efforts included the annual Water Art Invitational for high schoolers, the inaugural Model Water Tower competition for middle schoolers and assembly-style presentations for elementary students. Over the course of the year, the Service Authority also engaged with 53 Title I classrooms. A large percentage of children who attend Title I schools come from low-income families.

“A big part of our mission in Community Outreach is to provide water and environmentally-based educational opportunities that supplement what children are already learning in the classroom,” said Community Relations & Outreach Manager Kathy Bentz. “We thank Prince William County Schools for allowing us to partner with them in these endeavors, and we are excited to see what our future together holds.”