CITGO Announces First Annual National STEM Day Celebration

HOUSTON, Nov. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation will host its first annual National STEM Day Celebration on November 8, 2017 to honor the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) community and draw attention to the progress made in the advancement of STEM education. The event will take place at the West Houston Institute and is in celebration of National STEM Day, which was established to encourage children to explore and pursue their interests in STEM.

Before an audience of community partners, local media and government officials, CITGO will reveal the STEM Teacher of the Year and announce this year's STEM Talent Pipeline Grantees. The grants recognize teachers, classrooms and schools in the Alief, Houston and Spring Branch Independent School Districts (ISDs) offering innovative STEM programming.

"The development of STEM education is a core priority of ours, and we are thrilled to honor those who devote their lives to inspiring children to pursue this important career path," said CITGO Acting President and CEO José Pereira. "Nearly all of the fastest growing jobs projected by the U.S. Department of Labor are STEM-related. We hope that by spreading early interest among children, we can help lead them to success later in life."

This event will tout the innovations produced by STEM – from the Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream served after the event, which revolutionized ice cream as we know it, to Joppa the Robot, who will co-emcee the evening with KHOU 11 News at Noon Anchor Shern-Min Chow. Joppa the Robot, created by the first robot rental company in the world, is one of five robots of its kind in the U.S. In addition, attendees will enjoy hands-on STEM activities and live demonstrations provided by CITGO partners such as GirlStart, the National Energy Education Department (NEED) and Ocean Exploration Trust (OET).

CITGO is celebrating National STEM Day beyond Houston. Each CITGO refinery is hosting its own event to spread the importance of STEM to students in their local communities. The CITGO Lemont Refinery is welcoming educators, elected officials and students to Lockport Township High School East Campus, where students will make presentations and have the opportunity to experience the school's CITGO Learning & Innovation Lab. In Lake Charles, Louisiana, the CITGO Refinery is hosting a friendly competition known as the CITGO/MSU College of Engineering Design Challenge between local Engineering is Elementary (EiE) schools. Finally, the CITGO Corpus Christi 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 3,000 students and 300 educators across the CITGO operational footprint, strengthening the communities where the company has a presence.

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

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