Cummins, Inc. strives to become an integral part of each community that it resides in. Here is one example of how Cummins Power Generation in Minnesota is going above and beyond in their community:
Nestled between the Cummins Power Generation facilities in Fridley and Shoreview, Minnesota are 2,400 acres of an old army ammunition plant. Constructed in 1941 to make ammunition for World War II, the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant opened up production briefly during the Korean and Vietnam wars before closing permanently in 1976. Cummins Power Generation is partnering with the local community to turn the brownfield, now a designated U.S. EPA Superfund Site, into a classroom where students will contribute to its redevelopment through actual field research.
A classroom trailer is the latest addition to the site, outfitted with lab equipment thanks to a community development grant from the Cummins Foundation. On September 1, 2015 volunteers from Cummins Power Generation teamed up with local officials to turn the trailer into a classroom as they ushered in a new school year. Volunteers cleaned and furnished the trailer with shelves, window blinds and smoke detectors.
In this classroom, middle school and high school students will have access to a real-live laboratory with real-world implications. In addition they will study land development, planning, urban design, environmental conservation and marketing.
Along with providing the field equipment, Cummins Power Generation will support the project with employee engagement activities. In fact, Cummins Power Generation’s Corporate Responsibility Leader Bibiana Rodriguez, commended Community Involvement Team liaisons Prad Pathirana and Josh Bigby for pursuing their passions – driving the grant application and advancing the partnership with Mounds View Schools. This project will also be submitted to the Environmental Challenge to measure the impact on the community that resulted from transforming the brownfield site into an educational asset for the community.
Commenting at the ceremony, Rodriguez said: “We work through our employees, we work through the engagement and then we look at where we can put our money and that makes a difference. And this was one of those projects that we really liked; we really thought it made a difference.”