ExxonMobil Joins Change the Equation Initiative; Outlines $120 Million Investment in U.S. Math, Science Education
-- Change the Equation is an unprecedented initiative to mobilize
corporate, government support to boost science, technology and math
education
-- ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO on board of Change the Equation
-- ExxonMobil's investments will train thousands of teachers and educators,
encourage hundreds of thousands of students to pursue careers in math,
science
IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Exxon Mobil Corporation announced today that Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and CEO, has joined the board of Change the Equation, a CEO-led initiative launched by President Barack Obama to cultivate widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and math. The company also announced it expects to spend more than $120 million on U.S. math and science education through 2012.
"Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America's role as the world's engine of discovery and innovation," said President Obama. "I applaud ExxonMobil and its partners for lending their resources, expertise, and their enthusiasm to the task of strengthening America's leadership in the 21st century by improving education in science, technology, engineering and math."
"High-quality education, especially in math, science, technology and engineering, is critical for the ability of countries to successfully compete and prosper in the 21st century," Tillerson said.
"As the leader of a company that relies on technology and innovation, I understand the need to support efforts to improve math and science education. I applaud those in business and government who have joined together to establish Change the Equation, and its mission to promote innovation and investment in science, technology, engineering and math teaching and learning."
Tillerson is scheduled to participate in the Change the Equation launch at the White House later today and will be accompanied by Tony Zini, a third-grade teacher from Huntington Beach, CA, who attended the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. The academy is a partnership with PGA golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, and has equipped more than 2,600 teachers with innovative tools to inspire students in math and science.
"The Academy literally changed the way I teach," said Zini. "My role changed from one of being a dispenser of information to one of a facilitator of knowledge. My students changed from passive recipients to active participants in the learning process."
Tillerson said he is encouraged by the Obama Administration's Educate to Innovate campaign, which will greatly benefit efforts to increase the supply of qualified math and science teachers, and he urged other businesses to engage in educational initiatives focused on the science, technology, engineering and math curriculum.
ExxonMobil focuses on education initiatives that encourage students to take an active interest in math and science and related careers, motivate students to learn and perform well in math and science, support the development of highly qualified math and science teachers and provide teachers with professional development opportunities in math and science.
A key part of ExxonMobil's investment for 2010-2012 is the company's continued support for the National Math and Science Initiative, an organization whose mission is to broaden the reach of programs that have proven to boost math and science education in schools nationwide.
The most recent results from NMSI's Advanced Placement (AP) program, which offers incentives for students to take college level math and science classes, have been spectacular. Students at NMSI schools achieved an overall 98 percent increase in math, science and English AP exams passed, more than seven times the national average. Already, NMSI's AP programs are in place in 229 high schools in 6 states, with an enrollment of more than 50,000 students.
In addition, NMSI's UTeach program, which is being utilized in 22 universities, has been praised as a model for increasing the supply of qualified math and science teachers through rigorous undergraduate education programs at colleges and universities across the country.
Other initiatives by the company include the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, ExxonMobil Reasoning Mind Teacher Qualification Program and the partnerships with former astronauts Bernard Harris and Sally Ride to encourage students to study math and science.
ExxonMobil's investment in education in 2010 helped train and improve the math and science skills of 600 teachers as part of the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, sent approximately 1,500 students to ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps and provided training to promote careers in math and science for 300 educators as part of the Sally Ride Science Academy brought to you by ExxonMobil.
The Bernard Harris Dream Tour, which hosted more than 26,000 middle-school students from across the country in 2009, traveled to 10 cities in 2010 encouraging students to follow their dreams and pursue careers in math and science.
In addition to the funding of science, technology, engineering and math education, another important component of ExxonMobil's education investment is the ExxonMobil Foundation's Educational Matching Gift program. The program, one of the most generous of its kind in the United States, matches employee and retiree gifts to higher education on a 3-to-1 basis and has provided almost $400 million to universities across the United States since the program's inception in 1962.
About ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in the United States. The Foundation and the Corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels.
Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2009, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $235 million in contributions worldwide, of which more than $98 million was dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contributions programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community
About Change the Equation
Change the Equation (CTEq) is a non-profit organization whose 100 member companies from across industry sectors are dedicated to promoting innovation and investment in STEM teaching and learning. CTEq aims to give STEM education a central place in the national lexicon of excellence and achievement, establishing a national movement to support, promote and implement excellent STEM education for every child.
Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation
Released September 16, 2010