Alcoa Foundation Awards $45,000 in Local Grants to Promote Education, Healthcare and Land Preservation in NC

The Alcoa Foundation has awarded grants to three North Carolina organizations totaling $45,000 as part of its ongoing commitment to support worthwhile causes in the local community that are dedicated to improving education, protecting the environment and advancing health and safety.

The Stanly Community College Foundation, Stanly Regional Medical Center and LandTrust for Central North Carolina each received a $15,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation. This money will support workforce education, provide enhanced medical care for rural and at-risk communities, and support land conservation efforts across central North Carolina.

“The Alcoa Foundation is proud to support these three important projects that will benefit our local community,” said Nicole Wright, the local coordinator for Alcoa Foundation grants in North Carolina. “These projects will train Stanly County students for engineering jobs, make it easier for residents to get quality healthcare, and support non-profit organizations that help protect our environment.”

The Alcoa Foundation grants include:

Stanly Community College Foundation

As part of Stanly Community College’s continued emphasis on workforce education and training, the $15,000 grant will be used to support the Electronics Engineering Technology program. The program, part of the College’s Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology initiative, helps train students for jobs such as automation and mechatronics technicians, plant maintenance technicians, and equipment maintenance technicians. The grant money will purchase equipment, including basic hydraulic furniture and a pump, that enables the College to build a full hydraulic training system for its Industrial Electronics lab that will open in 2016. The College expects to train 40 students a year and provide them with an understanding of hydraulic components, circuits, and laws.

“Alcoa has been a long-time partner of Stanly Community College, especially in the area of workforce development. We are grateful for its continued support," said Dr. Brenda Kays, president of Stanly Community College. “This grant will help support our new Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center by providing much needed equipment to help our students learn new skills.”

Stanly Regional Medical Center

The $15,000 grant will be used by the hospital to purchased advanced technology to provide telemedicine services at rural, high-risk clinics in Stanly and Montgomery County. Telemedicine eliminates the transportation barrier many patient face by  allowing the clinics to immediately share vital medical information – using two-way video and other wireless technology – with the hospital. This technology improves patient healthcare and allows the patient to more easily receive information about how to manage chronic diseases.

“The Stanly Regional Medical Center Foundation is grateful to Alcoa for their support through the telemedicine grant. Our Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Department is thrilled to be able to serve our community more fully through these funds. With each meeting, they think of more effective and efficient ways to reach their patients through this grant. Together, we look forward to improving the health of our community,” said Rebekah Ayscue, SRMC Foundation Annual Giving Officer.

The LandTrust for Central North Carolina

The $15,000 grant will be used to deploy a new database and monitoring system (ConservationTrack) that provides online tools to more effectively manage the stewardship of 600 conservation easements and properties stretching across central North Carolina. As part of an agreement to maximize their collective resources, this technology will be jointly used by the LandTrust for Central North Carolina, Catawba Lands Conservancy and Piedmont Land Conservancy. 

“With the help of the Alcoa Foundation, The LandTrust for Central North Carolina is breaking new ground by partnering with other land trusts to apply current technology to back office operations. This grant from Alcoa not only makes this possible, but leverages the opportunity by making larger projects more affordable over the long term," said Addison Davis, program director for The LandTrust for Central North Carolina.

Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation have a long history of supporting worthwhile causes in central North Carolina. It has donated more than $4 million in the past 25 years to support economic development and assist nearly 100 local non-profit organizations.

About the Alcoa Foundation

Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the United States, with assets of approximately $480 million. Founded 63 years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than $615 million. In 2014, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than $22 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the world, building innovative partnerships to improve the environment and educate tomorrow’s leaders for careers in manufacturing and engineering. The work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by Alcoa’s thousands of employee volunteers who share their talents and time to make a difference in the communities where Alcoa operates. Through the company’s signature Month of Service program, in 2014, 58 percent of Alcoa employees took part in more than 1,000 events across 24 countries, benefiting more than 700,000 people and 500 nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.alcoafoundation.com.

Alcoa Foundation accepting grant proposals

Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation are currently accepting grant proposals from local non-profit organizations that protect the environment, strengthen education and enhance the community. In the past 10 years, Alcoa has donated nearly $2.5 million and supported more than 100 local non-profit organizations in the region.

“Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation have a long history of supporting North Carolina organizations that improve our community. We are proud to continue our support of worthwhile causes that make our community stronger,” said Nicole Wright, who oversees community grants for Alcoa in North Carolina.

Grant proposals are due by March 31, 2015 and should be submitted directly to Alcoa Power Generating’s office in Badin, NC. (Additional contact information is listed below.)

Alcoa Foundation grants focus on two primary areas:

Education: Supporting STEM education and workforce training initiatives to help build the advanced technology workforce.

Environment: Driving measurable and systematic improvements in environmental sustainability through innovative solutions that incorporate the next generation of products, practices and systems. 

In 2014, local recipients of grants from Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation included organizations such as:

Stanly Community College: $20,000 to support its new Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center)

Pfeiffer University: $20,000 to support a series of summer camps focused on science,technology,engineering and math)

Uwharrie Community Services: $10,540 to fund a technology program aimed at helping seniors improve their computer skills

Rowan County Rescue Squad: $5,000 to purchase four underwater facemasks and buoyancy control devices for divers

John Murray Community Care Clinic: $5,000 to purchase medications and medical supplies

The Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the United States. In 2014, the foundation contributed more than $22 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the world, building innovative partnerships to improve the environment and educate tomorrow's leaders for careers in manufacturing and engineering.

 The work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by the work of employee volunteers who share their talents and time to make a difference in their communities. Through the Alcoa ACTION (Alcoans Coming Together in Our Neighborhoods) program, employees in Badin frequently volunteer on community service projects and provide small grants to help benefit the nonprofit organization.

For more information about applying for an Alcoa Foundation grant or to receive the format for a concept paper, contact Nicole Wright at nicole.wright@alcoa.com. Concept letters can be sent via email or delivered to:

Alcoa Foundation
ATTN: Nicole Wright
293 NC 740 Highway
Badin, NC 28009-0576

Alcoa Foundation donates $20,000 to Stanly Community College

Nicole Wright presents a
$20,000 check from the
Alcoa Foundation to Christy
Bogle, executive director
of the Stanly Community
College Foundation.

Alcoa Foundation has awarded Stanly Community College a $20,000 grant to support its new Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center. The grant will fund the purchase of industrial equipment that will used to provide technical training for students.

“This Alcoa Foundation grant will help Stanly Community College educate and train our local workforce with the engineering and manufacturing skills they need to succeed,” said Nicole Wright, Alcoa Foundation Coordinator for APGI. “Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation strongly support Stanly Community College and believe the new Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center will be incredibly valuable to our community.”

Stanly Community College is a primary provider of workforce training in the region, assisting in attracting new businesses to the area and providing continued training to those currently in the workforce. It launched a capital campaign last year to develop an Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center to enhance its existing workforce development programs.

“Alcoa has been a long-time partner of Stanly Community College, especially in the area of workforce development. We are grateful for its continued support,” said Dr. Brenda Kays, president of Stanly Community College. “This grant will help support our new Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center by providing much needed equipment to help our students learn new skills.”

The Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center will introduce new training programs specifically designed to support local industries. Students can receive degree programs with industry-recognized certifications to provide a clear path to employment. Areas of focus include welding, machinists, and industrial maintenance technicians.

Volunteers pack food for Aquadale Elementary School students during Alcoa Month of Service

A team of volunteers from Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI) spent Thursday packing meals for students at Aquadale Elementary School in Norwood. The Weekend Food Program provides healthy, non-perishable meals for students during the weekend.

“Supporting local schoolchildren is one of the best ways we can give back to our community,” said Nicole Wright, Alcoa Foundation Coordinator for APGI. “One in four children in North Carolina is at risk of hunger, so food programs like this ensure that students have healthy meals to eat when they are not in school.”

Alcoa’s volunteer effort is part of an ACTION (Alcoans Coming Together in Our Neighborhoods) grant program that supports community projects through the donation of time and money. The volunteer efforts of Alcoa employees are supported by the Alcoa Foundation with a grant of $1,500.

Alcoa designates each October as a “Month of Service” that is the centerpiece of the company’s volunteerism efforts. In 2013, Alcoa employees around the world spent 700,000 hours in October donating their time, energy and expertise to make a positive difference in the communities where they live and work. 

Pfeiffer receives $20,000 gift from Alcoa Foundation

The Alcoa Foundation recently awarded a $20,000 grant to Pfeiffer University to support a series of summer camps focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Dr. Laura Lowder, assistant professor of education; Nicole Wright, foundation coordinator, Alcoa Power Generating; Dr. Jerry Boone, president; Mark Gross, Hydro Operations Manager, Alcoa Power Generating; and Dr. Dane Fischer, professor of biology. 

Pfeiffer receives $20,000 gift from Alcoa Foundation

Grant will support summer camps focusing on STEM subjects

Pfeiffer University will host a series of summer camps focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) next year, thanks to a $20,000 grant provided by the Alcoa Foundation. 

“Pfeiffer University is grateful to the Alcoa Foundation for its longtime support of Pfeiffer students through annual scholarships and the direct funding of academic programs relevant to the local workforce,” said Carol May, Pfeiffer University’s director of institutional advancement. “Through these and this new gift for STEM summer camps, the Alcoa Foundation demonstrates its enduring commitment to strengthening the Stanly County community by addressing needs of today to assure readiness for the jobs of tomorrow.”

The Alcoa Foundation grant will support three STEM camps for students in elementary, middle and high school. The camps include:

STEM Into Summer (Grades K-5)

Young campers will explore STEM concepts using LEGOs WeDo and Simple Machines programs. This hands-on robotics experience provides a learning environment where teams of students work together to engineer solutions to problems.

Planting the Seeds of STEM (Grades 6-8)

This camp focuses on inquiry-based experiments using plants as a model system. Campers will include plant tours of the Pfeiffer campus and discussion of how various plant species have evolved to share the forest and urban ecosystem. The camp may include microscopic analysis of plant cells and/or extraction and analysis of plant DNA.

A STEM Career: It’s in Your DNA (Grades 9-12)

This camp for high school students will feature laboratory training and interactive exercises that promote collaborative, interactive and engaged learning while inspiring students to pursue STEM careers related to DNA science. Pfeiffer student will work with campers to perform hands-on, interactive activities that are not typically carried out in high school labs due to a lack of resources and expertise. STEM careers such as forensic science, pharmaceuticals, medicine, cancer biology, and biotechnology will be highlighted.

“The Alcoa Foundation is dedicated to supporting education and encouraging schools to provide STEM learning opportunities for students,” said Nicole Wright, who manages Alcoa’s community grants in North Carolina. “We’re thrilled to support the work that Pfeiffer is doing to engage a wide range of North Carolina students in STEM learning.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career — and only about half of those who pursue a college major in a STEM field choose to work in a related career. Currently, the U.S. is ranked 25^th globally in mathematics and 17^th in science among industrialized nations.

“Competence in math and science is essential for employment in medicine, biotechnology, computer science and information technology, pharmaceuticals and forensic science — fields that will drive the 21^st century,” said Dr. Dane Fisher, professor of biology, who will design and direct the STEM camps with Dr. Laura Lowder, assistant professor of education. “Pfeiffer University is very grateful to the Alcoa Foundation for recognizing this critical need and making it possible for Stanly County students to participate in an educational summer experience that could potentially set the course for their futures.”

For more information about the camps, contact: dane.fisher@pfeiffer.edu or laura.lowder@pfeiffer.edu.

Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on West Badin home

Stanly County Habitat for Humanity has begun construction on its first home in West Badin. The home, located on one two properties donated by Alcoa, will allow Habitat to fulfill another family’s dream of home ownership. 

“We are a company that believes strongly in supporting our communities,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “In Badin and around the world, Alcoans like to build things. This is a great cause that we were happy to support.”

Anton visited the Badin site last week with a team of Alcoa employees and Habitat leadership. 

“We are grateful for the partnership of Alcoa and are excited about the possibilities of helping this community grow,” said Cemita Gibbs, Executive Director of Stanly County Habitat for Humanity. “It is obvious by this donation that Alcoa cares about their community and the people.”

Alcoa employees plan to take part in building the home. 

“Our employees have already told me that they are looking forward to volunteering to help Habitat for Humanity during the construction of this home,” Nicole Wright, Alcoa Foundation Coordinator. “It’s a great way to give back to the community and we look forward to the start of the project.”

Alcoa promotes water safety with $25,000 grant to Stanly County YMCA

Alcoa launched its annual water safety campaign this month by announcing a $25,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation that will support learn to swim programs at the YMCA. 

The grant is one of several ways that Alcoa is working with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and local law enforcement agencies to promote water safety this summer. The company is giving away hundreds of free life jackets to children, providing financial support to local sheriff departments for increased patrols of the lakes, and spreading its message of “Playing it Safe on the Lakes,” through billboards, ads and promotional items. 

“It’s so important that we remind people to be vigilant about water safety,” said Nicole Wright, Alcoa Foundation Coordinator. “We can prevent so many tragedies by helping our children learn to swim.  We are honored to support the YMCA’s learn to swim programs and hope parents take advantage of classes that are available.”

The $25,000 grant to the Stanly County Family YMCA will help promote water safety and swimming skills through the 2nd Grade Learn to Swim Program at the Y.

The program, started at East Albemarle Elementary School in 2005, has grown to serve nine elementary schools across Stanly County. Plans call for the program to expand to all elementary schools in the county.

“Both Alcoa and the Y have long histories in promoting water safety,“ said John Lowder, Executive Director of Stanly County Family YMCA.  “This partnership is a perfect match to allow both organizations to work together to make Stanly County a safer place to live and play.” 

Click here to read more about the grant in the Stanly News & Press and Salisbury Post.

See television coverage of Alcoa's water safety campaign from News 14 and WXII.

Alcoa Becomes Founding Member of Duke Center for Sustainability & Commerce

Alcoa, together with the Alcoa Foundation, announced today that Alcoa has become a founding member of the Duke Center for Sustainability & Commerce, an organization dedicated to collaborating with industry and government to turn the vision of sustainability into products and solutions serving society.

The center is part of Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, a non-partisan institute focused on finding solutions to the nation’s most pressing environmental challenges. It was established at Duke University in 2010.

“The Duke Center’s focus on collaboration and innovation fits well with Alcoa’s approach to developing products and solutions that contribute to a sustainable world,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Working together, we can help communities and companies develop sustainable strategies to meet rapidly growing demand for infrastructure and transportation created by increasing population and urbanization.”

Anton will join the center’s Industry Council, an advisory panel for research and outreach.

Alcoa Foundation President Paula Davis said the Center’s research plays an important role in turning concepts into reality.

“The research depth of Duke University along with the expertise of the Center’s business partners creates a powerful combination,” Ms. Davis said. “We are pleased to be part of this effort and look forward to the advancements in sustainable communities that will result.”

Through its research, the Center is leading efforts to create a new generation of technological and organizational innovations to meet global sustainability challenges. It is led by Dr. Jay S. Golden who founded and co-directed the Sustainability Consortium prior to joining Duke.

“Alcoa has a long history of innovation that has led to great successes in their operations and product designs,” said Golden. “Our partnership with Alcoa will provide us a key manufacturing perspective from an organization whose products are critical to global commerce.”

Engineering A Brighter Future

Last week was Engineering Week in the U.S. It doesn't get the attention of Heart Health Month or March Madness, but it's a great way to get more people exposed to engineering as a career. Because without engineers, there would be no Yadkin Project, bridges spanning the river, transmission lines, or even the electrical grid that supplies us power every day!

On February 23rd, members from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at North Carolina A&T State University visited Kernodle Middle School in Greensboro, NC and introduced nearly 150 7th grade girls to the fields of engineering.

As an engineer and an Alcoan, I'm proud to say that Alcoa was a part of this. It was partially funded by a corporate grant through Alcoa's Campus Partnership Program.  I think it's wonderful that the members of the SWE are willing to share information about the field of engineering, make young people aware of the opportunities in the engineering field, and share how people can contribute and achieve as engineers. Based on feedback that I've heard from events like this, I think it's a win-win situation - both good for the students and for the presenters.

In addition to corporate programs like the Alcoa's Campus Partnership program, our Alcoa Foundation gives grants to communities where Alcoa has locations. In fact, the Alcoa Foundation has donated over $4 million to non-profit organizations in North Carolina in the past 21 years. At this point, we are finalizing the 2011 contributions for Badin and the surrounding areas. Watch for more information as we announce our Alcoa Foundation contributions.