(Long Island, NY) Students at Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) climbed on National Gridtrucks to see how they operate for the Touch-A-Truck program which, came to their Huntington campus. This program gives the students the ability to engage, see, and the touch the equipment and to have some fun.
Students at Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) enjoy Touch-A-Truck Day at the Huntington Campus. National Grid brought natural gas trucks and employees to the school to give the students a chance to get up close with National Grid vehicles. The children enjoyed exploring and pulling the levers on the Dig-It which is used for excavating. DDI received a Cinderella Grant from National Grid for revitalization and improvements to the school. Photo Credit: DDI.
DDI, a non-profit, and National Grid have a strong partnership and have been working together strengthening children’s education.
Students enjoyed the Dig-It which they could sit in and pull on the levers while wearing a National Grid hard hat. National Grid employees were on hand with their trucks and they allowed the students to explore and interact with some of the equipment and safety gear they use on a daily basis.
Students also watched National Grid workers operate the vacuum truck which makes lots of noise and vacuums up rocks; workers use it to excavate in sensitive areas. Children with developmental disabilities and autism have an easier time understanding what they can see and touch, while having fun.
DDI supports children and adults with developmental disabilities in achieving a lifetime of growth through education and innovative, individualized services. National Grid, in partnership with DDI, supports STEM education and awarded DDI a Cinderella Grant that provided for renovations, energy efficiencies, and improvements in classrooms, housing for students, and paving the parking lot.
“DDI is most grateful for the Cinderella Grant provided by National Grid, which allowed us to re-grade and repave the parent and school bus drop-off area, enhancing the safety and security for our students,” said Dan Rowland, Director of Development, Development Disabilities Institute.
“It was wonderful to see the excitement on the students’ faces when they saw the big trucks and then were able to climb on them. National Grid is extremely proud to partner with DDI through our Cinderella program. We wanted to utilize this opportunity to have an interactive event with the students and give them a chance to get up close with some of our vehicles and our field crews,” said Kiel Costella, Community & Customer Program Manager at National Grid.
For more than forty years, our Cinderella program has helped to revitalize local communities not on Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Through this program, National Grid has been able to offer revitalization grants to encourage non-profit organizations and community groups to restore buildings throughout Long Island communities.
This is just one of the many programs at National Grid, along with countless volunteer efforts under National Grid’s employee volunteer program, Power to Serve, that illustrate National Grid’s commitment to improving the quality of life on Long Island. The Cinderella Grant awarded to DDI helped fund some of the needed improvements to the school. The parking lot had become quite a safety hazards for the students, parents, and faculty and was repaved with the grant. Safety is National Grid’s number one priority and they are pleased to help make that kind of improvement to the school.
National Grid looks forward to working with DDI on future projects.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.
Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities’ long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization).
For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, or our Connecting website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, Friend us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
