Through Alcoa's eight-year partnership with Earthwatch, employees and local leaders from Alcoa communities learn how their individual actions impact local surrounding environments, while also contributing to critical environmental research projects. Since 2003, 94 Alcoa employees have undertaken Earthwatch Fellowships, contributing over 6800 research hours to solving some of the biggest sustainability challenges of our time. In 2010, Alcoa Foundation has expanded the Fellowship Program to provide 12 representatives from Alcoa communities worldwide the opportunity to volunteer alongside employees on expeditions. In addition to contributing to the knowledge needed to build a sustainable future, this hands-on support for scientific fieldwork provides participants a rich understanding of global environmental challenges and how individual daily behaviors, both at work and at home, can contribute to a more sustainable future. Alcoa Earthwatch expeditions are linked to global issues that are of that are of shared importance to our company and the communities where our operations are centered: climate change, global water supply, and sustainability. All participants complete an environmental curriculum as part of their expedition experience, providing them a learning framework to connect that research to the issues they face in their communities and delivering meaningful impact on the environmental and economic health of local communities. Follow the blogs of Alcoa's Earthwatch fellows here.