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ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Jan. 12, 2023) – Since 2015, more than 125,000 students across northeastern and central Pennsylvania have learned valuable electrical safety lessons thanks to an educational and memorable school program from PPL Electric Utilities. This major milestone was achieved after reaching 10,451 children from 66 schools in 2022. 

During the 35-minute performance, presented in partnership with The National Theatre for Children, “Captain Wattage” and his sidekick “Lineman Larry” teach children about electrical safety. They explain how electricity is created, the various uses for it, how to identify dangerous electrical conditions and how to stay safe around electricity, as they face off against their arch enemy “Vivica Voltage.”

“This continues to be one of our most popular electrical safety programs,” said PPL Electric Utilities Public Safety Supervisor Doug Haupt. “We’re so proud to be able to reach so many young people and educate them about how to stay safe around electricity.”

PPL Electric began partnering with The National Theatre for Children to provide the free educational program in 2015. The two organizations worked to develop the program and began presenting it, in person, to students in local school auditoriums and gymnasiums. 

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic created an obstacle for the in-person performances, the program adapted and took on a virtual approach. Teachers and students were given access to livestreams that allowed them to participate using a live question-and-answer feature. Plus, to supplement the program, students were given playbooks, posters and a full e-learning package including games, activities, e-books and hands-on lessons. PPL Electric plans to return to in-school performances in 2023 in hopes of reaching even more students.

In addition to its school program, PPL Electric has distributed its children’s safety book, “How We Stay Safe Near Electricity,” to more than 43,000 fourth-grade students since 2018. The book is offered at no cost to fourth-grade classes in schools located within PPL Electric’s service territory. The company has also donated copies of the book to public libraries across its 29-county service territory and has made the safety book available for download, in a PDF format, on its website at no cost. To download a copy of the book or request a physical copy as well as see the program guidelines for the book, visit pplelectric.com/kidsbook.

Plus, PPL Electric offers an entire website geared toward children, parents and educators that can teach children about electricity through games, activity pages and more. To access these resources and learn more about electrical safety and energy science, visit ppl.e-smartkids.com.

PPL Electric takes its commitment to safety seriously. And while it spends a lot of time educating employees and the general public about being safe around electricity, it knows that it’s just as important to teach those safety lessons to its youngest customers. To learn more about PPL Electric’s safety initiatives and programs — including the ones geared toward kids — visit pplelectric.com/safety. 

PPL Electric Utilities delivers safe, reliable and affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in eastern and central Pennsylvania. It regularly ranks among the country’s best utility companies for reliability and customer satisfaction. PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer and an active supporter of the communities it serves. It is a part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies. Visit pplelectric.com or connect on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for energy efficiency tips, bill help information, guidance on shopping for an electricity supplier, storm updates and more.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news and background about PPL Corporation. 

Contact: For news media: Russ Hryvnak, 570-807-2229, rhryvnak@pplweb.com              
               PPL Electric Utilities