$125,000 ExxonMobil Foundation grant will help increase number of well-trained math and science teachers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Stephanie Cargile | Baton Rouge Public and Government Affairs Manager, ExxonMobil
(225)977-7479
Jamila Sykes | ExxonMobil
(225) 977-0129
- Local traditional and charter public schools to benefit from the grant
- Grant designed to assist with recruitment and training of new math & science teachers
- Teachers will serve in predominately low-income communities
BATON ROUGE, La.– ExxonMobil Baton Rouge announced a $125,000 grant to Teach For America—South Louisiana to assist with recruiting and training new teachers for local public schools. The grant is part of a $500,000 donation from the ExxonMobil Foundation to strengthen math and science education for more than 25,000 students in low-income communities in Dallas, Houston, South Louisiana and Washington, D.C.
Teach For America will utilize the grant to recruit new math and science teachers, as well as provide intensive training, ongoing support and career development. Teach For America corps members are hired as lead classroom teachers at schools in low-income communities.
“We are committed to increasing the number of students who are prepared to compete in today’s global economy,” said Steve Blume, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge refinery manager. “Teach For America teachers make a significant impact in the Baton Rouge area by building core competencies in math and science, which are so critical for our youth.”
Teach For America has been a member of the South Louisiana community for 20 years and now supports 150 corps members reaching some 8,000 local students. More than 130 Teach For America alumni call the region home and, in partnership with other local leaders, work from all sectors to create educational opportunity for all students.
”ExxonMobil’s generous support will fuel Teach For America’s leadership pipeline in the fields of math and science,” said Michael Tipton, executive director of Teach For America–South Louisiana. “It will fuel our teachers’ work alongside other committed educators to give every student the excellent education they deserve.”
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, even though math achievement scores are improving, the gap between low- and high-income students has remained nearly constant during the past decade. The ExxonMobil Foundation grant extends a 17-year partnership with Teach For America and enables improved education for students living in low-income communities.
The Teach For America grant is part of a long-term commitment to education by ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation, including programs that support the professional development of highly qualified teachers, encourage students to take an active interest in careers in the math and science fields, and promote involvement of women and minorities. Locally, ExxonMobil supports the Baton Rouge community through direct financial support as well as employee volunteerism. ExxonMobil Baton Rouge ended 2011 with nearly $5 million in direct financial support to the community through contributions, matching grant programs, ExxonMobil Foundation support and funding for the Capital Area United Way. Hundreds of employees and retirees spent more than 40,000 hours volunteering in Baton Rouge area schools and nonprofit organizations last year, alone. Employee and retiree contributions to higher education draw a three-to-one match from the ExxonMobil Foundation, and generated $1.8 million to LSU and Southern University in 2011.
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About ExxonMobil and ExxonMobil Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The Foundation and the Corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels.
Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalysts for economic development, and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2010, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $237 million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contributions programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.
About ExxonMobil Baton Rouge
Whether it is gas for your car, plastic for your family’s milk jug or wax for your kids’ crayons, the people of ExxonMobil are committed to making the highest quality products in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Thousands of company employees and retirees in Baton Rouge have helped shape the city that, today, is home to ExxonMobil’s largest global integrated chemical and refining complex.
About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Today, 9,000 corps members are teaching in 43 regions across the country, while nearly 24,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit http://www.teachforamerica.org.
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