Alcoa Gives $25,000 to The Education Foundation

Alcoa’s Mt. Holly plant announced $120,000 in Alcoa Foundation grants to four local non-profit organizations: the South Carolina Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, The Education Foundation, the South Carolina Aquarium and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will receive $65,000 over three years to expand its oyster reef restoration efforts in the Sewee-to-Santee/Winyah Bay Estuarine Complex. TNC launched its oyster reef restoration program in 2007 with a $300,000 Alcoa Foundation grant, and the funds announced today will support TNC’s continued efforts to restore oyster reef habitat, a critical component of S.C.’s estuaries.

“The Nature Conservancy is honored to receive this generous donation from the Alcoa Foundation,” said Mark Robertson, South Carolina Executive Director. “This grant will enable The Nature Conservancy to restore and protect oyster reefs along South Carolina’s coast for three years. Oysters provide food and income for people. They also are natural filters that clean coastal waters. They create shelter and food for hundreds of other creatures such as crabs, mussels, shrimp, channel bass, dolphins and birds. And, they protect our coastal marshes from erosion.”

The additional grants will support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives of The Education Foundation, South Carolina Aquarium and South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math (GSSM). A $25,000 grant to The Education Foundation will fund the creation of two “Virtual Job Shadows” (VJS), career exploration modules available free to high school students, parents and educators through the Department of Education’s Personal Pathways to Success website. The grant also provides for training workshops for teachers, guidance counselors and career specialists on effectively utilizing VJS for career exploration, using VJS to drive awareness and interest of STEM-related careers and ultimately driving higher graduations rates with better-prepared students for the workplace.  

The South Carolina Aquarium receives a $15,000 grant for its High School Intern Program, a training and internship program that targets economically disadvantaged high school juniors from the Tri-County region. The program gives 20 students exposure to science education and workplace training through field-based learning opportunities, ultimately seeking to bring diversity to scientific professions in the region.

GSSM also receives a $15,000 grant to support its pioneering summer iTEAMS (Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Among Middle Schoolers) camps for rising eighth and ninth-graders in Berkeley County. Up to 200 students will attend one of two week-long camps designed to encourage low socioeconomic status students to pursue studies in computer science, engineering, programming and business using team-based technology challenges. 

“Through these grants, Alcoa Mt. Holly and Alcoa Foundation will build on our existing partnerships with TNC and The Education Foundation while developing new relationships with the South Carolina Aquarium and GSSM,” said Mike Rousseau, Mt. Holly Plant Manager. “We’re proud to support their environmental sustainability and education initiatives and look forward to seeing their programs make a positive impact in our community.”