Photo provided by United Way of Southeast Alaska
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – In late 2022, Coeur Alaska, Inc., owner and operator of the Kensington Mine, awarded $10,000 to the United Way of Southeast Alaska to strengthen Coeur Alaska’s LEARN UNITED reading tutor program.
Originally founded in 2012 as a partnership between Coeur Alaska, the United Way of Southeast Alaska, and the Juneau School District, the program partners with the Juneau School District to match community volunteers with elementary school students to improve literacy skills. of third grade students. Volunteer reading tutors provide constructive guidance, positive encouragement, and a literacy-rich environment for elementary school-age children.
“After a temporary hiatus in the program due to the pandemic, the time was right to relaunch Coeur Alaska’s LEARN UNITED reading tutor program,” said United Way of Southeast Alaska President and CEO Wayne Stevens. “As we move away from the pandemic, it felt like an ideal time to make an investment to revitalize the program to limit the negative impacts of the COVID pandemic and associated educational changes on literacy skills.”
“Investing in education creates a strong foundation for Alaska’s future workforce,” said Coeur Alaska General Manager Steve Ball. “Reading proficiency is one of the greatest predictors of lifetime success, and we hope Coeur Alaska’s LEARN UNITED Reading Tutor Program can provide the support needed to develop our next generation of Alaskan leaders.”
Coeur Alaska has been a proud supporter of the United Way of Southeast Alaska for over a decade. Its employees have participated in the Employee Workplace Campaign since 2011, Coeur Alaska’s LEARN UNITED Reading Tutor Program since 2012, and United Way Day of Care since 2011. Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine is an underground mine rock gold mine located in the Berners Bay Mining District 45 miles northwest of Juneau. The mine began commercial production on July 3, 2010 and celebrated ten full years of production in 2020. Coeur Alaska employs approximately 400 people and is the second largest employer in the city and borough of Juneau.
“Coeur Alaska has been contributing to and strengthening the Southeast community for more than 35 years and our employees care deeply about the communities in which we live and operate,” said Rochelle Lindley, Coeur Alaska Government and Community Affairs Manager. “Supporting the United Way of Southeast Alaska is a fantastic way to make a broad impact in the areas of the community that need it most.”
