Month: May 2023

Hut Life

As part of our journey to build a ‘Culture of Connection’ that is more equitable, inclusive and where everyone feels like they belong, we are kicking off our “Slice of Life” employee spotlight series.

Through this new series, we will learn about our fellow Team Members unique backgrounds, life experiences, different cultures, and the interesting journey they’ve taken to get to Pizza Hut, allowing us to know a little bit more about those we work with.

Kicking off our series, we sat down with Trish Baney, director of training, who has been with Pizza Hut for more than 30 years.

Tell us about yourself – where are you from and what is your background/ethnicity/culture?
“I grew up in Nebraska, but I’m a city girl – not a farm girl. Although I did spend some time with my grandparents on their farm in Iowa. I loved growing up in the Mid-west, where deep seeded family values and strong work ethic are the foundation of all parts of life – including mine. I have been married to my husband Chad for 29 years and we have two sons, one granddaughter and three dogs. My Pizza Hut journey started more than 30 years ago where I started as a Team Member in a restaurant and have now worked my way up through the organization to our training team today. I have had the opportunity to work on the equity, franchise, licensee, and multi-brand sides of business. And I’ve met incredible people every step of the way.”

When you were younger, what did you want to be?
“A dancer. My mom was a dance teacher and had her own studio. I started dancing when I was three and being a dancer was at the top of my list until I was a teenager.”

Why do you do what you do?
“My passion is people. Invest in those around you and everyone is better for it. There is no greater value I can add than helping others become the best version of themselves. By doing that, each of those people also leave something with me to help me grow.”

What was a defining moment in your career journey?
“There have been quite a few, but I would have to say making the move from Nebraska to Dallas in 1996, when I was a restaurant general manager (RGM), was the first. Moving from a small market in my home state to one of the largest in a state where I knew no one, was terrifying. But the opportunities that came along with it, for me and my family, overshadowed the fear.”

What are three words that your family and close friends would use to describe you?
“Trustworthy, compassionate and genuine.”

What animal would you say matches your personality best?
“I’m going to go with a penguin because penguins have a strong sense of community, are kind, helpful and very loyal. Besides, I think they are adorable!”

What’s your favorite quote and why?
“There are a lot of great ones out there but hands down this one from Maya Angelou has stuck with me for decades: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.’ This holds true in every aspect of my life – be that at home or work. I’m always aware of the impact your words and your actions have on others.”

What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you?
“Take care of yourself first. You can’t take care of anyone else until you focus on you.”

What do you tend to do on the weekends?
“I love to spend time with my family, especially my new granddaughter! My husband and I enjoy movies, trying new restaurants, catching a theatrical performance or, from August to January, taking in college football – Go Big Red!”

If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
“My grandparents – all of them. Each of them taught me something special about life and helped sculpt who I am. I was fortunate to have them all with me into my 40s and I would give anything to be able to have more conversations with them.”

What is one unique thing about yourself that most people don’t know?
“My grandpa was a Shriner clown – and I spent a lot of time at the circus as a child. I participated in parades, got to ride elephants and camels, and dressed up in fun costumes. Unfortunately, I did not pick up any ‘circus skills’ along the way.”

PHILADELPHIA, May 19, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Comcast Corporation announced a total award of more than $25 million to hundreds of community organizations to help provide the resources and support needed for building a stronger, more equitable workforce.

Furthering a deep and longstanding commitment to advancing equity and opportunity, Comcast’s funding will help provide skills building, job training and other career development offerings for the full spectrum of learners, from high school students to adults. Today’s announcement is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to help advance digital equity and build a future of Unlimited Possibilities.

“When more people across our country are given the full set of tools and opportunity to secure good jobs, we change much more than just one person’s life. We create a butterfly effect that reaches across communities – and our entire economy,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP & Chief Diversity Officer for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation.

 

By investing in workforce training, skills building and job placement today, our work is helping to build lasting, generational wealth and achieve large-scale economic growth for all.

DALILA WILSON-SCOTT 
EVP & Chief Diversity Officer for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation

Currently, 92 percent of all jobs require digital skills but nearly one-third of U.S. workers lack basic digital skills, and overwhelmingly, communities of color and Americans earning lower incomes are most often those lacking the skillsets required to qualify for jobs and to grow careers. Through targeted workforce development, significant strides can be made toward closing the skills gap – and digital divide – while spurring critical job placement and increasing diversity and equity in the workforce.

“We can only successfully change the face of tech – and strengthen the future of our economy – if we successfully find ways to help every worker unlock his or her potential,” said Plinio Ayala, President & CEO of Per Scholas. “Comcast recognizes how critical this mission is, and by working together, we can create the opportunities that empower job seekers to become what they envision, to realize their every possibility, and succeed in the workforce of today – and tomorrow.”

Comcast’s grant to frontline, partner organizations will help increase college and career readiness, especially among underserved youth; connect workers to opportunities; provide upskilling for adult learners and those already in the workforce; and close the skills – particularly digital skills – gap. This funding will support programs and partnerships driving impact nationwide in 2023.

“To excel in the tech industry, it is not enough to simply have a degree,” noted Michel Ellison, CEO and Co-Founder of CodePath. “Graduates must navigate a complex, competitive industry, build a background of career-specific experience, and establish tech excellence. As leaders, it is incumbent on us to help guide our future tech talent through all of this and more. With partners like Comcast, we will successfully establish the connections and tools necessary for our future creators, problem solvers and innovators.”

Through intentional investment in organizations deeply rooted in local communities across the country, Comcast’s investment will drive change needed to achieve lasting, generational impact. Specifically, funding will go toward the following focus areas and more than 200 organizations, including:

Increasing College and Career-Readiness

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) – Comcast is supporting the Next Generation of Indigenous Coders program, which prepares students for computer science degrees and careers across all industries.Genesys Works – Funding will help enable the expansion of a program connecting underserved high school students to paid internships with major companies, reaching 1,900 students and more than 2,100 alumni.The Hidden Genius Project – With support from Comcast, Hidden Genius will engage 1,200 youth of color in programming and 200 high school students in an intensive immersion program, 98 percent of whom will graduate high school and 90 percent of whom will enroll in post-secondary education.

Building College to Career Opportunities

CodePath – Comcast is helping provide the tools and connections college computer science students need to unlock their greatest career potential, enabling CodePath to scale its work to serve 10,000 students per year — 70% of whom identify as Black, Latino/a, Indigenous, first generation, and/or low-income — at approximately 70 institutions of higher education.Reboot Representation Tech Coalition – Together with other companies, Comcast has set out to double the number of Black, Latina and Native American women receiving computing degrees by 2025 and increase their representation in the tech workforce.

Providing Training and Upskilling to Close the Skills Gap

Hispanic Federation – Through a dedicated partnership program, Comcast is supporting a network of 20 Digital Equity Centers at Latino-led and serving nonprofits across the country, which will provide 5,000+ participants with digital skills training and job placement assistance.National Urban League – Comcast’s support of the NUL’s Urban Tech Jobs program will provide unemployed and under-employed individuals with training for in-demand jobs in the tech sector, with a particular focus on middle-skills jobs in the IT sector.NPower – Comcast’s support will enable enrollment of 650 trainees in Regional Tech Fundamentals, a tech training and job placement program helping military veterans and underserved young adults move from unemployment to middle income careers.Per Scholas – Providing tuition-free training and hands-on professional experience to adult learners, Comcast’s funding will enable more than 10,000 adult learners to launch tech careers over the next three years.

Kinross Gold is pleased to launch its 2022 Sustainability and ESG Report, summarizing the Company’s progress over the past year in furthering its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy and detailing its ESG goals for 2023 and beyond.

Kinross’ Sustainability and ESG Report, now in its 15th year, details the Company’s approach to responsible mining that underpins its operational success. The foundation of Kinross’ ESG governance structure is its core values, commitment to key international frameworks and standards, and Safety and Sustainability Policy, which grounds the Company’s First Priorities and its commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance.

Click here to view the report https://s2.q4cdn.com/496390694/files/doc_downloads/2023/ESG/Kinross-2022-Sustainability-and-ESG-Report.pdf

Key highlights and achievements contained in the report include:

Generated US$2.9 billion in economic benefits to host countries through taxes, wages, procurement, and community support. Since 2010, US$44 billion has been contributed to the economies of Kinross’ host countries.Sustained high levels of local employment with 99% of our workforce and 87% of management from within host countries.Advanced Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion targets, achieving 13.3% female participation in Kinross’ workforce, the highest level in five years.Maintained record of zero reportable incidents at our tailings sites for the 30th consecutive year, with independent reviews conducted at 100% of our sites in the past three years.Water intensity declined by 8% from 2021 to 2022, driven by more tonnes processed vs. 2021 and a large decline in net water storage at Paracatu.Introduced first Climate Change Strategy, which outlines a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction plan on our path to net-zero by 2050, setting an interim target to achieve a 30% reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity (on a per gold equivalent ounce basis) over the 2021 baseline by 2030.Lowered GHG intensity rates in 2022 and the Company is on track towards 2030 target.Achieved highest S&P ESG Global rating in 2022, ranking in the 97th percentile, the highest ever placement for Kinross, improved Sustainalytics risk rating score with a significant 10-point improvement, and maintained ‘A’ position with MSCI for the third-consecutive year.Top ranked mining company in The Globe and Mail’s annual ranking for corporate governance among Canadian companies, scoring 93 out of 100.

“Sustainability is a critical component of our business and every facet of our operations at Kinross,” said J. Paul Rollinson, President and CEO. “Building on the solid sustainability foundation we’ve established over three decades, we have updated our ESG strategy, focusing on three pillars: Workforce and Community, Natural Capital, and Climate and Energy. We see each pillar as a key focus area for us, with short- and long-term performance targets embedded into our business. Our updated ESG strategy and sharpened focus will enhance the management of our social and environmental performance in a transparent, collaborative, and responsible manner, generating long term value for our stakeholders.”

About Kinross Gold Corporation
Kinross is a Canadian-based global senior gold mining company with operations and projects in the United States, Brazil, Mauritania, Chile and Canada. Our focus on delivering value is based on our core principles of responsible mining, operational excellence, disciplined growth and balance sheet strength. Kinross maintains listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol:K) and the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:KGC).

Media Contact:

Investor Relations
Chris Lichtenheldt, Vice-President, Investor Relations
Telephone: 647-821-1736

Media Relations
Victoria Barrington, Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Telephone: 647-788-4253

ESG
Michal Kowalczyk, Vice-President, ESG Strategy
Telephone: 647-788-4150

Read More

Legendary music entrepreneur, Chairman Emeritus of AEG Presents and Former President and CEO of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains, Chuck Morris, was presented with the inaugural Leader of the Year Award at Education Through Music – Colorado’s second annual All Together Now Music Festival and Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts in Denver, CO. The event raises awareness about the importance of music education in Colorado public schools.

Morris was recognized for his outstanding contribution to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the music industry in Colorado and for blending the artistic and passionate side of music with productive, entrepreneurial, and educational programs.

“Chuck’s heroic career in the music industry began in 1968 and, for over 50 years, his entrepreneurial and visionary genius have marked the biggest music events in Colorado,” said a spokesperson for Education Through Music – Colorado. “We owe him some of the most unforgettable performances by national and international artists, as well as the creation, renovation and management of the most prestigious venues in our state.”

Celebrating the creativity and talent of students in the Denver area, more than one hundred students from Education Through Music – Colorado’s partner schools joined together for a full day of workshops and a final performance with professional musicians Old Man Saxon and the Pink Hawks.

Education Through Music-Colorado is a non-profit organization launched in 2019 with a mission to ensure every student, including those with special needs, has access to music education during the school day. The organization focuses its efforts on Title I schools in low-income neighborhoods, where the free and reduced lunch student program population is greater than 82%. The non-profit’s 2022-2023 school year currently serves 2,000 ECE-8 students at eight Denver schools. To learn more about Education Through Music – Colorado, click here.

Originally published on Built From Scratch

May 20 has been designated World Bee Day by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.

As a senior human resources manager, Gina Lees supports development and talent programs for supply chain associates. In her free time, Gina fills her garden with pollinator-friendly plants and flowers and has become an avid beekeeper.

“I had the opportunity to work with a stellar general manager who was a beekeeper, and he would share stories about the process, the science and the bees,” Gina recalls. “I was intrigued, and my husband was equally interested. We thought it would be a fun hobby we could do together. This is our 6th year as beekeepers, and we are far from experts. Each year we learn how to do something a bit better and take better care of our queens and their hives.”

Gina’s Top Tips for Success:

Bees are going to do what bees are going to do.
 There is no one route to becoming a successful beekeeper. You can read a dozen beekeeping books, watch countless videos, talk to local apiary groups, etc., and you will learn many best practices to keep your bees healthy and thriving.
 It’s called beekeeping for a reason. It is a hobby that is not continuously laborious but does consist of required activities that can be time consuming on an intermittent basis.
 The cost to get started as a beekeeper will feel expensive due to purchasing bees, brood boxes, frames, equipment, apparel, etc., but it will pay dividends when you harvest the honey, aka liquid gold.

“Learning about and working with bees is so fascinating,” says Gina. “Bees are incredible: each bee has a specific job that contributes and is integral to the survival of the hive. Additionally, the energy and effort pay off when the honey is harvested. The honey is delicious, and we enjoy gifting it to friends and neighbors. This year, we learned to render beeswax from the capped comb we removed during harvesting.”

To get the supplies to start beekeeping, look no further than homedepot.com. For both aspiring beekeepers and those who want to support pollinators, learn more about the best plants to add to your landscape.

Pollinators are vital to local ecosystems, and The Home Depot is committed to promoting products that help protect them. Our growers have discontinued the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in our live goods since 2019, except where legally required.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 19, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Discovery Education, the Caterpillar Foundation, and Learning Undefeated today announced the launch of a new education initiative – Innovation at Play. This unique program leverages the power of play by using engaging, hands-on digital resources to educate and inspire students in grades 9-12 to consider exciting careers in a variety of STEM professions.

Innovation at Play provides standards-aligned digital resources that make it easier than ever for educators, after-school instructors, and parents to connect STEM concepts to potential career pathways. Classroom activities, play-inspired lessons, and phenomena-based videos exemplify how curiosity drives STEM solutions while empowering students to learn by doing and seeing. The content will equip students with the right skills and knowledge to pursue STEM careers at home, in the classroom, or wherever learning takes place.

“The future STEM innovators are sitting in classrooms all across the country. No matter where they are, Innovation at Play will empower students to connect their STEM curiosity with STEM skills to solve problems and secure careers,” said Asha Varghese, Caterpillar Foundation President.

Innovation at Play sources STEM creativity and stories from industry experts at Learning Undefeated who have an extensive history of innovation, insights, and leadership. The non-profit is a long-standing partner of Discovery Education.

“Innovation at Play connects students to the innate power of play and the power of STEM, in order to change the world,” said Jennifer Colvin, Chief Innovation Officer at Learning Undefeated. “When students have a fun, hands-on learning experience, it brings them one step closer to imagining a career path that involves STEM.”

Learn more about Innovation at Play at InnovationatPlay.com or within Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education provides educators with an enhanced learning platform that facilitates engaging, daily instruction.

“Students are naturally creative and curious, using play as a universal language. Innovation at Play puts fun at the center, empowering students to explore, problem-solve, and engage in authentic STEM experiences in ways most relevant to them,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Social Impact at Discovery Education.

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.

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About the Caterpillar Foundation 
Founded in 1952, Caterpillar’s philanthropic organization, the Caterpillar Foundation, has contributed more than $850 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by building resilient communities that thrive in a rapidly changing world. To learn more about the global impact of the Caterpillar Foundation, visit caterpillar.com/foundation. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

About Learning Undefeated 
Learning Undefeated is driving race and gender equity in STEM through experiential and deep-impact learning experiences for students from under resourced communities. Best known for its fleet of traveling STEM laboratories, Learning Undefeated’s flagship STEM education program has prepared more than 1.5 million K-12 students for STEM careers since 2003, through hands-on content exploration, game-based learning, summer camps, and talent development programs. In 2022, Learning Undefeated’s shipping container based Drop Anywhere Lab won the Best of STEM Awards in the Social Impact: Promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category. Learning Undefeated also operates several other celebrated STEM education programs including custom curriculum development and STEM disaster recovery education. Visit learningundefeated.org or follow us on social media @LearningUNDFTD.

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
Jamie Cecil-Monari 
Caterpillar Foundation 
CecilMonari_Jamie@cat.com

Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
gmaliska@discoveryed.com