Alcoa has announced that 47 percent of employees around the world volunteered during the company’s annual Month of Service in October dedicating 80,000 hours+ to community needs. In addition, more than 450 employees at Alcoa Tennessee Operations and Alcoa’s Knoxville Offices donated their time during 25 different local volunteer events. These volunteers gave close to 1,700 hours of service to various nonprofit organizations.

“Each year, our employees demonstrate their commitment to making a difference in our community through their volunteering,” said Ken McMillen, Location Manager at Alcoa Tennessee Operations. “We are proud of their passion for giving back and are proud to support a number of very worthy nonprofit organizations through our employees’ volunteer efforts.”

Alcoa employees from 23 countries participated in 964 projects – improving literacy, collecting and distributing food or clothes, planting trees, donating blood and restoring natural areas. In partnership with 425 nonprofits, Alcoa employees and community members:

• Planted 51,000 trees in support of Alcoa’s Ten Million Trees program
• Helped 3,700 children through education and recreation programs
• Assisted 1,800 elderly
• Served 1,500 meals to the underserved

As part of a company-wide Alcoa Worldwide Month of Service Make a Difference Challenge, Tennessee Operations was named one of the global winners for its volunteer efforts to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in our community. As a winner, a $10,000 Alcoa Foundation grant was awarded to Alcoa High School to support its STEM education.

“We appreciate Alcoa and its employees,” said Alcoa High School STEM teacher Shawn Kerr. “It is great when our middle students get to hear young professionals talk about what they do every day in a manufacturing career and how their STEM related skills apply to the real world. It’s never too early to plant the seed about the value of strong math, engineering and technical skills.”

During a Month of Service event, Alcoa Tennessee Operations employees spent time talking to Alcoa Middle School students about career opportunities in STEM related fields. Alcoa employees will also participate in an upcoming Alcoa City Schools system-wide STEM event that will incorporate fun and interactive ways for students to learn more about STEM education, additive manufacturing and STEM related careers.

To learn more about Alcoa’s Month of Service, visit www.alcoa.com/monthofservice.