Hopkins, South Carolina, May 4, 2026 – Westinghouse Electric Company, through its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF), has expanded its longtime partnership with Richland One schools this year to support programming at seven schools in Lower Richland County, where Westinghouse is located.
Westinghouse is donating a total of $80,000, with $10,000 awards going to Gadsden, Horrell Hill, Hopkins, and Webber Elementary Schools, Hopkins and Southeast Middle Schools, and Lower Richland High School for the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year. Another $10,000 is being donated to sponsor the Electric Hornets, Lower Richland High School’s robotics team. Since 2023, Westinghouse has donated nearly $210,000 to help fund STEM programs, school supplies, and other classroom needs for students in Richland One.
“I view our ongoing partnership with Westinghouse as a great example of our community rising together,” Richland One School District Superintendent Dr. Todd Walker said. “It takes community stakeholders like Westinghouse to commit to helping our students achieve the expectations we have set for them. Donations like this one are instrumental in giving our learners, at all grade levels, the tools and the support they need to be successful.”
“The Lower Richland area has been Westinghouse's home for nearly 60 years, and many of our employees, myself included, are products of Richland One schools,” said Candice Simons-Cash, Westinghouse’s Community Liaison. “We are excited to see the great progress happening in Richland One under Dr. Walker’s leadership, and this investment demonstrates Westinghouse’s commitment to helping our community grow stronger by developing the next generation of Lower Richland’s leaders.”
The continued partnership between Westinghouse Columbia team and Richland One demonstrates the importance of public-private partnerships in supporting positive outcomes for students and the community as a whole. Westinghouse’s contributions provide external support and programming for students in the Lower Richland area, while Richland One provides an educated and ready workforce to fill many of the high-tech, well-paying jobs at the Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) in Lower Richland.
As one of the largest nuclear fuel facilities of its kind in the world, the Westinghouse Columbia team produces fuel pellets, rods, assemblies, and components that support 10% of the electricity in the U.S. and employs 1,200 people from the local community across manufacturing, engineering, testing, and fuel services. Sustaining this highly skilled workforce depends on a strong local talent pipeline, where education and industry are closely aligned.