PROJECT LEAD THE WAY ANNOUNCES $1.125 MILLION GRANT FROM CHEVRON

Clifton Park, NY – Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation's leading provider of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs, announced today that Chevron Corporation has committed $1.125 million to PLTW's California network as the organizations launch an effort to improve STEM education in California. The Chevron grant, provided under Chevron's California Partnership, an initiative to invest in education and economic development in its home state, will be used to strengthen STEM education in four selected regions located near Chevron facilities in Sacramento, Bakersfield, El Segundo and the East Bay Area. PLTW's CEO John Lock announced the grant during his kickoff speech at the organization's national symposium last week in front of more than 700 members of the PLTW network.

"Advancing STEM education in this country and creating more opportunities for today's students is key to maintaining competitiveness in the global economy," said John Lock, CEO of Project Lead the Way. "The widening gap in science, technology, engineering and math knowledge in today's students can only be addressed with a focused effort to deliver an expanded curriculum that will give young people the opportunity for prosperity in the fields that will drive the future growth of this country. Chevron's understanding of the importance of STEM has made this a natural partnership and we are grateful for this generous donation." The goals of the Chevron-PLTW partnership to serve California students include:

  • Increasing the number of schools teaching the PLTW curriculum.
  • Improving the quality of the PLTW program at existing schools.
  • Providing meaningful ways for Chevron personnel to participate in this effort in all of the regions.
  • Developing a long-term relationship that improves STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of California and beyond.

"Chevron believes that STEM education is at the heart not only of California's future, but the future of our company," said Matt Lonner, manager of Global Partnerships and Programs at Chevron. "Project Lead The Way has proved very successful in its programs to engage students in science and technology and reinvigorate these critical subjects in the nation's schools. We're proud to be partnering with Project Lead the Way to drive innovative solutions and create opportunities to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM fields."

The California Partnership is a recently-announced Chevron initiative to invest in education and economic development in California by expanding the company's partnerships with nonprofits. With the California Partnership, Chevron has formed relationships with 18 new nonprofit partners providing programs for education, entrepreneurs and job training for the state's underserved communities. The California Partnership represents a $7 million enhancement to Chevron's community engagement investments in the state, bringing Chevron's total investments in California in 2009 to approximately $28 million.
 

About Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

PLTW is a national, non-profit organization that provides rigorous and innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for middle schools and high schools. The PLTW comprehensive curriculum, which is collaboratively developed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators, emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and real-world problem solving. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success in STEM-related fields. PLTW began in 1998 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level and has grown to a network of almost 3,400 middle and high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 300,000 students are enrolled in PLTW courses.

About Chevron

Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of approximately 62,000 employees who operate across the energy spectrum. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and other renewables. Chevron has been headquartered in California for 130 years and is the state's largest company. Chevron operations indirectly support approximately one in every 250 jobs in the state. The company generated $9.2 billion in economic output in California in 2007, and has spent nearly $2 billion with small businesses in the state since 2007, approximately 40 percent of which are minority- and women-owned. More information is available at www.chevron.com/CA.