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Pre-college education
Professional golfer Phil Mickelson gives U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings a brief lesson on the science of putting at the 2007 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in Fairfax Virginia.Improving educational programs worldwide to enhance math and science skills is a priority for ExxonMobil. In 2008, worldwide contributions in support of this goal totaled more than $38.7 million
, with more than $11.1 million benefiting communities outside of the United States.
In 2008, ExxonMobil continued investing heavily in math and science education in the United States. We support initiatives that encourage students to take an active interest in careers in the math and science fields, encourage the professional development of highly qualified teachers and promote the involvement of women and minorities in these subjects. ExxonMobil became a founding sponsor of the National Math and Science Initiative(NMSI) with a $125 million commitment in 2007. NMSI focuses on replicating proven programs — such as the Advanced Placement (AP)and Pre-Advanced Placement Training and Incentives ProgramsTM and UTeach — to improve math and science education.
NMSI has already proven to be successful. In 2008, for the 143 schools participating in the AP and Pre-AP Programs, enrollment in math, science and English AP classes rose by nearly 60 percent. UTeach is currently being implemented at 13 universities across the country and enrollment is expected to total 5,600 students over the next five years. About 70 percent of UTeach graduates are still teaching five or more years after entering the field, compared with less than 50 percent nationally.
Outside the U.S., ExxonMobil strives to meet educational needs that are specific to individual countries. For example, in Malaysia, where geographical remoteness, absenteeism and high dropout rates are among some of the challenges faced by the Orang Asli community, ExxonMobil worked with UNICEF Malaysia to publish a book based on Orang Asli folklore to teach children reading and writing skills. In Egypt, through a three-year, $1 million grant to Save the Children’s Ishraq Program, 1,000 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 will be given a second chance at education.
ExxonMobil’s commitment to developing education programs all around the world creates excitement in young students about working in the energy sector and other math- and science-related careers. In France, ExxonMobil supports Les Olympiades de la Physique (Physics Olympics) and Les Olympiades de la Chimie (Chemistry Olympics). Each year, over 2,500 students participate in regional competitions for the Chemistry Olympics and about 60 finalist teams participate in the national competition for the Physics Olympics. In Qatar, ExxonMobil contributed to the first national GasNa competition organized by Qatar University’s Gas Processing Center. In 2008, more than 700 students participated in categories of poster, essay or scientific experiment. In the U.S., ExxonMobil partners with the University of Texas at San Antonio to hold an annual ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair in which more than 1,000 middle school and high school students from all across the State participate.
