Board of Education Grants CITGO Innovation Academy at Lemont High School

LEMONT, Ill., Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lemont High School is now home to the first Innovation Academy in the state of Illinois, thanks to CITGO Petroleum Corporation and the Lemont High School District 210 Board of Education.  Expected to open on Nov. 8., 2018, this is the fifth Innovation Academy within the CITGO operational footprint.

The Superintendent for Lemont High School District 210 Dr. Mary Ticknor said the CITGO Innovation Academy at Lemont High School takes the school's long-standing partnership with CITGO to the next level. "We are grateful to CITGO for this opportunity to provide our students with exciting and engaging STEM experiences. We can't wait to see what our students will create in our amazing new collaborative learning space," said Dr. Ticknor.

Academy programming will introduce and encourage high school students to explore career paths in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). By inspiring and nurturing creative, ethical and scientific minds that advance the world through questioning, collaboration, personalized learning and use of technology and outreach, participants will be well-prepared for STEM college or technical programs.

"The Lemont community has embraced STEM education with open arms," said Dennis Willig, CITGO Vice President and General Manager Lemont Refinery. "The CITGO STEM Ambassador and Ocean Exploration Trust programs have been huge successes. I'm very excited to see what the students accomplish with access to a full-fledged academy experience."

Once complete, the Innovation Academy will include a state-of-the-art STEM classroom equipped with new equipment, supplies and training resources. Students will have the chance to participate in land and underwater robotics, computer coding, marine and environmental awareness as well as civil engineering. The Academy will also host featured events, including STEM outreach camps, Sisters in STEM and Science National Honors Society outreach events.  

"Our partners at Lemont High School very clearly understand the importance of providing access to top-notch STEM training through real-world applications of science," said Willig. "Their dedication to fostering a new generation of diversity and talent in the STEM workforce is inspiring. We're proud to help them toward that goal."

The first CITGO Innovation Academy was launched in 2013 at Foy H. Moody High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, which serves as the flagship campus. Since then, three more Innovation Academies have been implemented at Cunningham Middle School and Garcia Elementary School, both in Corpus Christi, and E.K. Key Elementary School in Sulphur, La.

CITGO Innovation Academies are the cornerstone of the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline. Through the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline, the company actively supports the academic exploration of STEM education in the schools nearby its refineries in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill. and its headquarters in Houston, Texas. Since the initiative's inception, CITGO has awarded more than $1.5 million toward programs that promote the importance of STEM education and provide educators with the resources they need.

About CITGO

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 749,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the sixth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 5,200 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

SOURCE CITGO