Alcoa Foundation grants $15,000 to the River Institute

For a third consecutive year, the Alcoa Foundation has provided a generous grant to the River Institute to support its science education programs. “The Alcoa Foundation is a great community partner”, states Dr. Brian Hickey, Education Program Leader at the River Institute, “This support has enabled us to improve and enhance our school science education programs, and also provide mentorship opportunities for young people with an interest in environmental science. The Alcoa Foundation funding has also helped us establish our Special Kids program for young people with special needs.”

The River Institute’s Environmental Science Investigators program benefits greatly from Alcoa Foundation funding. Delivered at the River Institute or Cooper Marsh, these workshops include field–based experiments and laboratory procedures in which high school students learn and practice many investigative techniques common to practical science. In 2007-2008, approximately 3000 students benefited from the River Institute’s education programs. “We are extremely grateful to corporate partners like the Alcoa Foundation who recognize the need for educational experiences outside the classroom,” says Hickey.

“Our partnership with the River Institute goes beyond money. It is a combination of common environmental education values shared by our organization and the Alcoa Foundation added to the important involvement of our employees who volunteered their time to this organization over the past year”, states Jack Lindsay, Plant Manager, Reynolds Food Packaging in Summerstown.

The Alcoa Foundation is a separately-constituted nonprofit U.S. corporate foundation with assets of approximately $504 million. Its mission is to actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide. Throughout its history, the Foundation has been a source of positive community change and enhancement, with over $465 million invested since 1952. To learn more about Alcoa Foundation, visit http://www.alcoa.com under Community or http://www.alcoa.com/canada/en/info_page/sustain_comm_af_overview.asp.

The River Institute was established in 1994 as a unique community partnership involving government, education, business and industry, and the Mohawks of Akwesasne. Its mandate is environmental research and education with a focus on the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence River ecosystem. It has earned an international reputation for its fresh water ecosystem research projects.