Alcoa

1)    Grand Valley State University – In Whitehall, Michigan (USA), Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation have supported the Science Technology and Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) camp to encourage seventh grade girls to pursue careers in science, technology, and engineering. Developed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and administered throughout the United States by local universities, the program—through Alcoa Foundation’s support—has provided more than 630 high-potential young women in the state of Michigan the opportunity to gain a unique insight into the world of technology and engineering during an intensive summer camp. Alcoa’s support goes beyond pure financing, with Alcoa engineers serving as mentors for the students at the company’s Whitehall facility during buddy days. Results show that 55% of girls who are in their first year of college and have completed the STEPS program have career interests related in some way to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

2)    Make an Impact – Alcoa and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions have formed a unique partnership that is the Make an Impact program – harnessing their own resources to develop the tools enabling others to act, in their homes and in their communities.  As a business, Alcoa has taken a global leadership position on addressing climate change inside its operations, across its industry and within its communities. 

Make an Impact hosts the Make and Impact: Change Tomorrow’s Schools Competition that offers grants of $5000 or $1000 and other prizes for schools based on the number of carbon calculator completions within a given time frame.  It also offers a student resource center for Students, Teachers and Parents.

3)    Institute for Civic Leadership – Alcoa supported the Institute for Civic leadership where 100 High School students from over 10 countries were hosted in August 2011 at the Dwight International School on Vancouver Island, Canada.  The focus of the learning was sustainable development and its global dimension as taught by environmental leaders and business entrepreneurs. 

4)    Tennessee Technology Center – The Second Chance Skills Program at the Tennessee Technology Center gives new hope to high school students who are struggling with the rigorous curriculum recently implemented by the state of Tennessee (USA). The curriculum combines workforce development with general education development instruction and is delivered in a professional work environment. Participants from 23 area high schools are finding career-growth opportunities and employment above the living wage.

5)    Change the Equation – In the United States, Change the Equation is mobilizing corporations to improve STEM education for all American students by championing policies and programs. The goals of the program are to improve STEM education at all grade levels, inspire student excitement for STEM programs and careers, and achieve a sustained commitment from public and private sector leaders and representatives.

6)     Junior Achievement– The Alcoa Foundation and Junior Achievement are helping young people around the world imagine a new path for their future. We’re encouraging high school students in Canada, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States to pursue careers in STEM-related fields. As part of the initiative, students gain access to digital tools and information that help them understand their career options at different stages of their education and professional development.

7)     First Tech Challenge- When students get a chance to turn what’s learned in the classroom into an exciting hands-on project, it can be a life-changing experience. That’s why we’re proud to sponsor the FIRST Tech Challenge, a real-world robotics competition that shows the exciting side of engineering. Teams of high school students in China, Europe, and the United States are mentored and coached in STEM principles and rapid prototyping as they build their robots and refabricate their creations in alliances against other teams.

8)     Institute of International Education Technical Education Program- In Russia, we are helping the Institute of International Education support the training of college students in technical disciplines. The Technical Education Program advances STEM through stipends, equipment purchases and teacher support. It’s all aimed at better preparing students for successful careers in a variety of technical fields.

      Now in its eighth year, the program expects to fund 50 student and 13 teacher stipends at universities in Moscow, Samara, and Rostov-on-Don and support approximately 20 underserved students at technical training colleges. To date, we’ve invested in excess of US$1.5 million to provide scholarships to more than 365 engineering students and stipends to 52 young faculty members for research and publications.

9)     The Boys & Girls Club Technology Training Program- The teen years are a golden opportunity to capture imaginations and guide students to good jobs. Alcoa Foundation is helping The Boys & Girls Club in Moline, Illinois is helping high school students chart a course for the future with a Technology Training Program that reaches more than 300 9th-12th graders. Members participate in a variety of educational and skilled trade activities, through which they learn about professional skills in demand in the Quad City region and how to prepare for technology-related career opportunities.