CITGO Celebrates Second Annual National STEM Day Event

HOUSTON, Nov. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation celebrated its second annual National STEM Day event on Nov. 8, 2018 by honoring the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) community and drawing attention to the progress made in the advancement of STEM education.

The event took place at Alief Independent School District (ISD) Center for Advanced Careers and in celebration of National STEM Day, which was established to encourage children to explore and pursue their interests in STEM and includes a variety of workshops centered around STEM education. Breakout session topics included food science, the science of smell, live animal interaction, robotics and more. Also during the event, before an audience of students and teachers from Alief ISD, CITGO revealed the STEM Teacher of the Year, Tanya Onwuchuruba, Olle Middle School eight grade science teacher.

"STEM education is the key to the future of energy. As part of many other initiatives CITGO participates in to inspire and teach young minds, our STEM Day event provides us with the opportunity to encourage students to pursue STEM education through engaging and fun interactive activities," said Larry Elizondo, CITGO General Manager of Community Relations, CSR and Legislative Affairs. "Nearly all of the fastest growing jobs projected by the U.S. Department of Labor are STEM-related. We hope that by inspiring young minds today, we can affect their future success tomorrow."

CITGO is also celebrated National STEM Day beyond Houston. Each CITGO refinery hosted its own event to spread the importance of STEM to students in their local communities and nominate the Teacher of the Year in their regions:

• The CITGO Lemont, Ill. Refinery welcomed educators, elected officials and students to Lemont High School, where students engaged in interactive STEM activities. The Ocean Exploration Trust also made a special presentation.
• The Lake Charles, La. refinery hosted a friendly competition known as the CITGO/MSU College of Engineering and Computer Science Design Challenge between local Engineering is Elementary (EiE) schools.
• The Corpus Christi, Texas refinery invited local students and teachers to celebrate STEM at the CITGO Skyline Venue inside the Texas State Aquarium with interactive activities and presentations.

CITGO launched the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline program in 2016. This initiative partners with educational organizations near the company's operational areas to increase access to educational opportunities in STEM. The program promotes the importance of STEM education to the socioeconomic development of our communities and highlights the numerous pathways to rewarding careers, including those in the energy industry. It provides grants to schools and educational organizations to support programs that increase student interest, retention and graduation rates – particularly at the high school and post-secondary levels – and those that prepare students for STEM technical and university level curriculum. The program also provides scholarships for students pursuing higher degrees in STEM fields. To date, the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline has already benefited more than 35,000 students and educators across the CITGO operational footprint, strengthening the communities where the company has a presence.

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. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.   

SOURCE CITGO

Related Links

http://www.CITGO.com