CITGO has announced that it is investing roughly $686,000 to support 24 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives across Illinois, Louisiana and Texas.
The funding is part of the CITGO STEM Program, which aims to increase the number of students graduating high school and entering STEM-related post-secondary programs leading toward technical and professional careers in their community.
“From robotics clubs in Louisiana to new Innovation Academy classrooms in Texas, this year’s grants fund the kind of hands-on learning that turns curiosity into a career path,” the company noted in a statement.
“Every robot built, circuit wired, or bridge designed in a classroom today is practice for the work our industry needs tomorrow,” said Kresha Sivinski, CITGO Vice President of Human Resources and Support Services. “These grants let teachers say yes to the projects that make STEM click for students, and that’s exactly where CITGO wants to invest.”
The CITGO STEM Program builds toward that goal through two cornerstone initiatives: CITGO Innovation Academies, which embed STEM learning into the daily classroom experience at our partner schools, and the CITGO Innovation Scholarship Program, which helps students carry that momentum into college and STEM careers.
The CITGO Innovation Academies are STEM-focused educational programs designed to build a K-12 pipeline of future innovators in communities near CITGO’s operational areas. In addition to supporting the Innovation Academies, CITGO offers grants to schools and community partners in underserved areas to drive interest and exploration in STEM, particularly hands-on learning in coding, robotics, engineering and the skilled trades.
This year’s funding also includes a Signature Program grant to the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, which will train teachers in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lemont, Ill., to bring energy and energy-efficiency curriculum into their classrooms, plus continued support for the CITGO Innovation Scholarship Program through Scholarship America.
CITGO is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the well-known CITGO brand. The company owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 43 active terminals, eight pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants.
With approximately 3,300 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 829,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth largest and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the U.S.
