Month: April 2024

PITTSBURGH, April 4, 2024 /3BL/ – The PNC Foundation today announced it is allocating a $5.2 million grant pool across its markets to implement or enhance high-quality, nature-based outdoor play and learning environments. This grant pool celebrates the 20th anniversary of PNC Grow Up Great®, PNC’s $500 million, bilingual, signature philanthropic initiative designed to help prepare children from birth through age 5 for success in school and life.

Recent PNC-funded research by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) showed that 49% of children ages 3-5 are playing outside less than once a day. A recent NIEER literature review also suggests that pre-K programs conducted in nature-based settings can promote better learning and development.

“PNC has been in the early childhood education space for 20 years, focused on supporting the high-quality early education that is the foundation of a bright future for young children,” said Sally McCrady, president and chair, PNC Foundation. “For the milestone anniversary of PNC Grow Up Great, we’re thrilled to help provide young children across our communities with outdoor spaces that can help spark their natural sense of wonder and curiosity.”

The nature-based play and learning environments will emphasize natural surroundings, sensory elements and interactive play areas where children can explore and discover. Additionally, many of the projects include professional development for teachers on nature-based curriculums and opportunities for family engagement. PNC markets will collaborate on the projects with one or more local early childhood education providers.

“A growing body of research suggests that encouraging children to engage with their world through nature during play, and more structured activities that incorporate the environment around them, offers a wealth of benefits for learning and development,” said Steve Barnett, director of NIEER. “We’re excited to see PNC help high-quality early education providers add this outdoor play and learning element to their programs. These natural play areas will plant the seeds for a lifetime of opportunities for pre-K students across PNC’s footprint.”

PNC Grow Up Great’s focus on outdoor play and learning for the 20th anniversary extends beyond the grant pool initiative. The PNC Foundation today announced a $5 million extension of its support for DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that connects individual donors with public school classrooms, bringing PNC Foundation’s total support of the organization to $20 million since 2017. The PNC Foundation this morning flash funded all pre-K and Head Start teacher requests focused on outdoor play and learning in PNC’s markets and is currently matching, dollar for dollar, donations that support public and charter school pre-K and Head Start classrooms on DonorsChoose in the PNC footprint, with an extra boost for outdoor learning-themed requests. Matching donations are subject to qualifying project criteria and a maximum dollar amount. For more information, visit DonorsChoose.org/PNC.

In addition, earlier today, longtime collaborator Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, launched their latest set of bilingual educational resources. Created through support from the PNC Foundation and now available in PNC branches and online, the content emphasizes nature-based play with the theme of “Learn & Grow: Inside, Outside and On the Go.”

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.

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In 1813, a businessman named Francis Cabot Lowell formed the Boston Manufacturing Company and built a textile mill next to the Charles River. By 1840, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing, and Lowell’s mills employed almost 8,000 workers, with women making up nearly three-quarters of the workforce.

The “Lowell Mill Girls,” as they came to be called, were daughters of New England and Canadian farmers, typically between the ages of 15 and 35. Working in mills gave these women their first opportunity in America for independence and a bit of financial freedom. Over time, adult women in manufacturing displaced child labor, and women led the American labor movement for safer work environments and restricted labor hours.

Women in mills today can achieve the highest levels of education and leadership thanks to the Lowell Mill Girls who laid the groundwork centuries ago.

Empowering Women in STEM

Bri Butchart, finished product business unit manager at the Bogalusa Mill, went into manufacturing because it met all three of her requirements for her career: to not be trapped at a desk, to work directly with people and to see the impact of her work in real time. She’s far from the only one.

Under the Thriving People and Communities Vision 2030 goal, IP aims to have 30% overall representation of women in all positions and 50% of women in salaried positions. In Bogalusa, 50 percent of the mill’s lead team are women, serving in positions that include operations, engineering and EHS. As the Bogalusa mill demonstrates, increasing women representation is possible.

But being a woman in manufacturing leadership isn’t completely without its challenges, even in the 21st century. Bri says for one thing, many men have an instinct to be gentlemanly, to volunteer to do tasks for women.

“When I was younger, men were very protective of me, and I appreciated that they saw me as one of their daughters. But papermaking requires experiential learning, and it was important to me that I learn how to complete a task myself,” said Bri, who holds a chemical engineering degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Lee Dillon, engineering manager at Bogalusa, faced challenges managing contractors in her career.

Fear will try to keep you from doing things. It’s when you push yourself past the fear that you improve.

“People often assumed I wasn’t qualified because they’d never seen a woman in that position,” she said. “I overcame that by proving myself. I’ve always wanted to be the best at everything I did – sports, school, my career. That takes dedicated work and I’m willing to make that effort in order to be successful.”

In her role at Bogalusa, Lee has managed some highly complex, multi-million-dollar projects like installing new drives on the #8 Paper Machine and a DCS system in the pulp mill.

Lee, who holds a mechanical engineering degree from Mississippi State University, says she is most proud of these accomplishments because complex electrical projects tend to be outside her comfort zone. “Fear will try to keep you from doing things. It’s when you push yourself past the fear that you improve,” she said.

The Impact of Excellence

At IP, we believe that more effective solutions can be found when people with diverse backgrounds and experiences bring different perspectives to the table. And diversity in leadership helps improve diversity in our workforce.

“People like to see themselves represented on our leadership teams,” said Bri.

It’s one reason she has actively worked to bring mill participation to the Women in IP (WIP) Employee Networking Circle. “I made a commitment to provide space for women to participate in the WIP ENC, so they’ll know there’s a network of people who support them whenever they need it.”

All seven of the women on our mill lead team are also mothers. We represent that women can have both a career and a family. We don’t have to limit ourselves. We don’t have to choose.

Lee added that the women in leadership are role models to the younger women who are beginning their careers. “All seven of the women on our mill lead team are also mothers,” she pointed out. “We represent that women can have both a career and a family. We don’t have to limit ourselves. We don’t have to choose.”

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com/.

About International Paper – EMEA

In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and specialty pulp, employing approximately 4,400 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Specialty pulp is made in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include a variety of Kraft linerboard and other pulp products.