CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery Promotes STEM Classroom Learning Through Workshops for Educators

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Feb 15, 2017, 08:30 ET

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the classroom, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery partnered with The National Energy Education Development Project (NEED) to host an all-day hands-on learning workshop for 27 STEM teachers from 10 local middle and high schools. As part of the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline initiative, the CITGO Energy Workshop used interactive learning games to encourage educators to bring their STEM passion into their classroom and inspire their students to consider STEM careers.

The CITGO Energy Workshop took place at Foy H. Moody High School, a longtime CITGO partner committed to providing students with a strong foundation for the pursuit of STEM careers. Teachers who attended the workshop received lessons to enhance their students' understanding of the oil and gas refining process. In addition to the workshop that took place in mid-December, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery hosted a two-hour internal NEED Outreach Training the following day for a group of CITGO engineers, equipping them with the tools needed to pass along their industry knowledge and promote STEM education in local school workshops.

"The NEED workshops offer students insight into viable STEM career paths," noted CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery Vice President and General Manager Art Klein. "STEM education prepares students for bright futures as engineers and innovative thinkers. In supporting The NEED Project, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery hopes to aid our area teachers in their efforts to train these students as the incoming workforce."

NEED Executive Director Mary Spruill said expanding the skill sets of area teachers to include skills relevant to current career paths is the motivating force behind the NEED Project. "We are partnering with CITGO to enhance curriculum at surrounding schools in order to prepare students for available STEM opportunities," she said.

Through their partnership, CITGO and NEED strive to bring energy curriculum into the classroom in the hopes of expanding students' knowledge of and interest in energy, while also encouraging them to explore careers in the oil, gas and transportation sectors. The NEED workshops have also been held near CITGO refineries in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Lemont, Illinois.

For many years, CITGO has worked to boost STEM educational and career prospects for Corpus Christi students. The CITGO Innovation Academy for Engineering, Environmental & Marine Science at Moody High School, one of the country's highest-ranked schools for STEM courses, prepares Corpus Christi students to be the next generation of STEM leaders through exposure to real-world educational experiences like field trips and academic competitions.

About CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery
The CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery, which celebrated 80 years of operations in 2015, provides more than 1,000 jobs locally, while generating more than $345 million per year in support of the local economy through salaries, services and taxes. In addition to producing high-quality fuels for its network of nearly 5,500 independently owned and operated CITGO branded stations across the country, Corpus Christi refinery employees make a major positive impact on the community. In 2015 alone, CITGO employees in Corpus Christi volunteered more than 2,900 hours of their personal time to local and national charities. Since 2013, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery and its employees have provided more than 10,000 volunteer hours and approximately $3.3 million in support of community organizations such as United Way, Charlie's Place, Muscular Dystrophy Association, The Miracle League, Catholic Charities, the Special Olympics and a variety of environmental and preservation initiatives, such as the revitalization of the Gateway to Corpus Christi, Hans and Pat Suter Park and Adopt-A-Beach Clean Up. The 80th anniversary of the Corpus Christi Refinery last year was preceded by the 70th anniversary of the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery in 2014 and is being followed by the 90th anniversary of the CITGO Lemont Refinery in 2016, with CITGO facilities marking three significant milestones in three consecutive years. For more information on the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery, visit www.citgorefining.com/corpus-christi.

About CITGO
CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company 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 Petroleum Corporation