CITGO Scholarships Further STEM Education for Spring Branch ISD Students

HOUSTON,  May 19, 2016 /3BL Media/ – CITGO Petroleum Corporation is helping 15 high school students from the Spring Branch Independent School District (ISD) reach the next level of their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by offering scholarships to graduating seniors who are heading off to college. This set of scholarships is one of three being awarded to STEM students in the Houston area: Students from the Houston and Alief ISDs will also benefit from CITGO-sponsored scholarships. 
 
The donation from CITGO to the Spring Branch Education Foundation will award 15 scholarships to students who are on target to graduate high school in May 2016. All scholarship recipients have a GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale and will be enrolled or planning to enroll in a STEM-focused degree program at a four-year accredited university. 
 
“Getting a college education is an important step in taking students from being interested in science, technology, engineering and math to having careers in those fields,” said Cece Thompson, executive director of Spring Branch Education Foundation. “We greatly appreciate the support CITGO is giving our students to encourage their pursuit of further their educations and help them reach their full potential.” 
 
CITGO is committed to boosting STEM education opportunities for both students and teachers throughout the state of Texas and across the country. Through its support of the Moody High School CITGO Innovation Academy in Corpus Christi, CITGO has helped to make Moody High School into one of the nation’s top-performing STEM high schools. Furthermore, employees from the three CITGO refineries in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, Louisiana; and Lemont, Illinois work closely with local schools to give students access to hands-on STEM experiences to enhance what they have learned in the classroom. For example, CITGO Lemont Refinery employees recently taught interactive science and sustainability workshops to area middle and high school students through afterschool program Project Infinite Green. CITGO has also partnered with the Ocean Exploration Trust to take STEM educators aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus, providing them with hands-on experiences and lessons to take back to their classrooms.
 
“For many high school students, a strong foundation in the sciences helps them to start building a bright future for themselves,” said CITGO President and CEO Nelson Martinez. “Our work with Spring Branch Education Foundation will help top STEM students in the Houston area get a college education and begin realizing their dreams, and help industries like ours prepare the qualified workforce we need.”
 
With its corporate headquarters based in Houston, CITGO and its employees take part in many efforts to strengthen the Houston community. TeamCITGO, the company’s employee volunteer force, gave more than 1,600 total hours in 2015 to social investment and education programs in the Houston area.

About Spring Branch Education Foundation
Spring Branch Education Foundation is committed to supporting SBISD students and educators. It partners with the district and community to fund programs that enhance education and prepare students for the future. Since 1993, the Foundation has donated more than $9 million to the district. In 2015, dewey & associates  ranked SBEF 17th in the nation among K-12 education foundations and number one in its division of foundations with $1 million to $1,999,999 in revenues. SBEF is a 501(c)3 organization; all donations are tax deductible.

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.