ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Two Alexandria organizations are among seven across Virginia receiving workforce readiness and STEM education grants from the American Water Charitable Foundation, the utility's philanthropic arm announced Thursday.
Cornerstone Craftsman, which trains young people for careers in the building trades, and the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria were named alongside groups in Hopewell, Cape Charles and elsewhere in the state. The foundation said the seven grants total $50,000 and did not break out individual amounts.
"Their investment gives us the ability to create real pathways into careers that lead to stability, self-sufficiency, and family-sustaining wages," Cornerstone Executive Director Roberto Gomez said in the announcement. "Support like this reminds us that we are not doing this work alone, and it gives us even greater confidence in what is possible when a community chooses to invest intentionally in its young people and their future."
The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria provides scholarships and college and career advising to graduates of Alexandria City High School.
Laura Runkle, president of Virginia American Water, said workforce development aligns with the company's values. "When students and young adults have access to quality STEM education and career readiness programs, they gain the skills and confidence needed to pursue meaningful careers and contribute to the local economy," she said.
The grants are part of the foundation's Keep Communities Flowing program. The foundation, funded by American Water shareholders, says it has awarded more than $25 million since 2012 and that the grants do not affect customer rates. Virginia American Water serves roughly 384,000 people statewide.
A second turn in the spotlight
The grant caps a week that also brought Spanberger to Cornerstone's shop. The governor toured the program Wednesday, watching participants work alongside Clark Construction's field engineering team and subcontractors on a mock-up build for an Inova hospital project.
She signed a wall in the shop with a note to the students, telling them they had shown "the strength, grit, and ability to do great things."
"Cornerstone Craftsman is an incredible program that should be a model for the country," Spanberger wrote afterward on Instagram. "At Cornerstone, young Virginians experience hands-on learning, build real projects within their community, learn directly from local building trades and construction professionals, and graduate ready for success."
Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips and feedback to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
© 2026 Alexandria News, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
