Summary
Rivers of Steel’s Full STEAM Ahead program, supported by the Alcoa Foundation, engages students with hands-on learning in environmental science, history, and the trades at the Carrie Blast Furnaces.
Rivers of Steel is proud to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Alcoa Foundation in support of our Full STEAM Ahead educational initiative. This funding will help expand hands-on learning opportunities for students across our region, fostering both environmental awareness and creative problem-solving skills.
At its core, Full STEAM Ahead introduces K–12 learners to the complex intersections of industry, innovation, environment, and economics. Through interactive curriculum, students come to understand that cities are more than centers of commerce, they are living ecosystems. The program encourages young people to think critically about urban environments, while exploring ways to balance development, ecology, and community well-being.
The historic Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark provides a powerful setting for this work. The site includes rare riverfront access along the Monongahela, featuring the last remaining natural river beach within Pittsburgh’s pool system. Its presence offers important context for students as they consider the long-term impact of industrialization on local waterways and ecosystems. This unique landscape connects the environmental, cultural, and historical lessons of the program in a way few sites can.
Thanks to the Alcoa Foundation’s support, Rivers of Steel can continue to build connections between the arts, environmental sciences, and history, while also opening pathways to the trades. Aluminum casting and forging activities, for example, introduce students to traditional foundry work and its relevance to today’s economy. These projects highlight meaningful career options while sparking creativity and curiosity. To further these opportunities, representatives from Rivers of Steel’s adult workforce training programs also meet with older students, sharing information about paid training opportunities in the traditional trades.
By blending education, creativity, and career exploration, Full STEAM Ahead empowers students to better understand their communities, their environment, and their own future possibilities.
Rivers of Steel extends its sincere gratitude to the Alcoa Foundation for this generous support. Their partnership makes it possible for us to provide innovative programming that inspires the next generation while preserving and activating one of the region’s most important historic landmarks.
