CITGO and Steve Spangler Recognize Public School Teachers Dedicated to STEM Education

HOUSTON, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation recently announced the winners of this year's fifth annual Fueling Education Sweepstakes. Through the CITGO Fueling Education program, 93 elementary and middle school teachers received awards that will help them to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the classroom. Eligible teachers were asked to share their most innovative STEM teaching lesson plans to win a $1,000 voucher from National School Supply and a subscription to the Steve Spangler Online Learning Academy ($250 value).

Out of the 93 winners, the following educators won grand prizes. Each will receive a teacher training session with Emmy-award winning television personality and best-selling author Steve Spangler, who is known as "America's Science Teacher." In addition, each won a $5,000 voucher to purchase classroom supplies from National School Supply.

• Laura Bebout, Rickover Junior High School, Sauk Village, Ill.
• Andrew Schnall, PS 43, Far Rockaway, N.Y.
• Jessie Kelly, Trickum Middle School, Snellville, Ga.

Spangler held a workshop for Bebout and 50 of her colleagues from Rickover Junior High School on Oct. 14, and plans to train other grand prize winners. "I am so grateful for the resources CITGO and Steve Spangler have dedicated to the advancement of STEM education," said Bebout. "They have given hundreds of teachers like me the opportunity to excite students and mold them into the STEM professionals of tomorrow."

"I am honored to participate in the fifth annual CITGO Fueling Education Program and give teachers the knowledge and supplies they need to help students succeed in the classroom and beyond," said Steve Spangler. "With support from CITGO, students will be exposed to the endless opportunities that come with pursuing a degree while developing a passion for the field along the way."

Since 2012, CITGO has shown its commitment to improving education in the classroom by donating more than $250,000 in classroom supplies through Fueling Education. In addition to the prizes awarded to the 93 winners, every teacher that entered the sweepstakes received access to CITGO STEM lessons, posters, teaching guides and student take-home content.

"Through Fueling Education, we have created a network of like-minded teachers with a common goal of improving STEM education and molding the next generation of STEM professionals," said José Pereira, Acting President and CEO of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. "We hope to create new and inventive ways to present lesson plans to students, and with the help of Steve Spangler, revitalize STEM education for grades K-8."

CITGO proudly supports STEM programs in the communities in which the company has a presence. As part of this effort, 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 17,000 students and educators across the CITGO operational footprint.

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