SHELL OIL COMMITTED TO EDUCATION:
Shell Oil Committed to Giving Tomorrow's Citizens a Strong Start Through Education
Source: TBEC Pamphlet
[Red highlighted words and phrases are common terms of Outcome Based Education as well as the Business Roundtable of which Shell Oil is a member. Read about the Business Roundtable elsewhere on this web site. MM]
Shell Oil Company has been involved with education on a national, state, and local level for more than 40 years.
We are concerned that young people stay in school and that they are inadequately prepared for both post-secondary education and for the school to work transition," says Jack Doherty, senior vice-president of the Shell Oil Company Foundation.
Shell is committed to increasing the quality of education through teacher and administrator development programs and improved understanding of science and math concepts, Doherty says.
"Say YES to a Youngster's Future" is one of Shell's current ambitious projects. Ten public elementary schools in Houston and nine in Washington, D. C. were the focus of a two-year pilot program in 1987-89. Since then, Shell has continued to fund the program, which has expanded to 30 schools.
The Say YES education and business partnership is designed to increase the achievement of minority and female elementary school students in math, science, and technology.
The program activities are based on the use of real-life situations to demonstrate scientific and mathematical concepts. Designed by the National Urban Coalition, the Say YES program encourages parental and community involvement.
We are interested in developing a thirst for learning in young people because we know they will be engaged in lifelong learning," Doherty says. "We want to encourage educational programs that promote curiosity, questioning and the fun and excitement of learning."
Shell seeks in cooperation with national organizations, to provide awards to outstanding teachers, including a $10,000 science teaching award through the National Science Teachers Association and seven regional and one national award for Excellence in Teaching through the National Council of Negro Women.
While Shell is committed to national initiatives, major Shell locations also support local education programs addressing the needs of their particular communities.
In Houston, Shell Oil was the first business partner with a school through the Houston ISD's Business/School Partnership program in 1977. Marshall Middle School was the company's first partnership school, and today Shell has 10 partnerships in four school districts within the Houston area.
The Business/School Partnership involves partnering a business with a school near its location. The business decides its level of involvement, from giving employees time off to tutor each week to forming committees to create new programs for the school. [One has to wonder if Board Member and Shell Oil employee Joe Kimmel got paid time off to be on the Katy School Board and participate in its activities? He also was on the Campus Improvement Committee at the public school(s) where his children attended. The same question would apply. MM]
Doherty says that both the Shell Oil Company and the Shell Oil Company Foundation have placed increasing emphasis on education in urban areas and try to achieve a balance in their contributions so that many different groups in a community receive educational opportunities.
On a state level, Shell is an important participant in TBEC and its programs. Jack Doherty, senior vie-president of the Shell Oil Company Foundation, is a member of TBEC's Board of Directors. Shell is also a major contributor to the Louisiana Alliance for Education Reform.
"Business has a vital stake in the education process because it represents both our future work force and our country's economic future. We have traditionally supported science, math and technology programs because they sustain core business," Doherty says.
The Shell Oil Company Foundation is helping underwrite the Ambassadors for Education program, a joint project of TBEC and TAPE. The program teaches citizens about how the education system works and how, as citizens, they can become involved.
Shell boasts some 40 local and national awards and recognitions for their contributions to education, including the U. S. Department of Labor's LIFT America Award and three Presidential Citations.