From Classrooms to Careers: Georgia-Pacific Prioritizes Investing in Education and Lifelong Learning

ATLANTA, December 19, 2023 /3BL/ - Georgia-Pacific is committed to empowering individuals through education. Recognizing that lifelong learning is the key to unlocking potential, the company is dedicated to enhancing the quality of education and bridging opportunity gaps in areas where its employees and their families live and work.

GP invests in quality education within its communities by focusing on innovative science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, technical/trade instruction and workforce development programs. The company also offers educational benefits to its employees and their children through scholarships and training.

One of the primary initiatives of Georgia-Pacific and its parent company, Koch Industries, is a scholarship program for the children of its employees. This initiative significantly eases the financial burden of education, allowing students to concentrate more on their academic and personal development.

Additionally, GP encourages continuous learning among its employees through various training opportunities. These initiatives facilitate career growth, contribute to overall productivity, and enhance the company’s competitiveness, benefiting the local community and society overall.

For more than six decades, GP has worked together with local schools, educators and non-profit organizations to develop programs that transform lives and uplift communities. Throughout the years, the company has supported local schools directly through grants and in-kind donations across various communities. In Atlanta, the company has partnered with Junior Achievement of Georgia and its 3DE program for over 25 years, where GP employees volunteer to coach over 100 high school students who develop solutions to real-world challenges faced by the company and present their cases in front of judges. The company also hosted the Economic Teachers Summer Institute in partnership with the Georgia Council on Economic Education to help high school educators deepen their knowledge used to design and implement engaging lessons. In fact, Georgia-Pacific has been contributing to high school career and technology educational programs for decades to help enhance manufacturing education and show future employees how technology is opening doors to new opportunities within the industry. GP also recently donated $100,000 to Auburn University’s Pulp & Paper Foundation, giving engineering students the ability to test and improve innovations in papermaking. In east Texas, the company made a $10,000 donation to Angelina College’s workforce development program to equip students with the tools they need to be successful in today’s manufacturing world.

Recognizing the importance of practical learning and results-driven education opportunities, GP hosted a STEM camp designed for elementary students in partnership with Effingham County Fire in Rincon, Georgia. Similarly, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the company donated glassware worth more than $27,000 to various public school science departments, contributing directly to hands-on learning.

See the post from Effingham College & Career Academy here

GP also maintains ongoing partnerships with nonprofits nationally, including the Kids in Need Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and United Way. These collaborations aim to equip teachers and students with the necessary resources for effective learning and growth.

Everyone should have the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed. Georgia-Pacific is dedicated to supporting education and continues to harness its resources, partnerships, and the power of its employees to help create thriving communities and shape a brighter future for all.

Learn more about GP’s approach to social stewardship.

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