press release Chevron’s Fuel Your School Program Receives Record Number of Project Submissions

Funding still available for students across Greater Vancouver to support education in science, technology, engineering and math.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, November 2, 2016 – Chevron Canada Limited (Chevron) and My Class Needs, a Canadian charity, announced today that its 2016 Fuel Your School program has received the highest number of classroom project submissions to date, with additional funding still available for teachers based in Greater Vancouver. The program has already seen a 41.9% increase in application growth from the prior year and granted more than $265,000 in funding requests across the region. An additional $300,000 is still available.

The annual program is an innovative collaboration between Chevron and My Class Needs that uses a crowdfunding website to support students and teachers. The program is still accepting submissions until Thursday, November 10 and teachers are encouraged to apply. This year, the program has been extended to all teachers at K-12 public schools in the following school districts: Vancouver, Richmond, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Delta, Langley, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, and New Westminster.

"We are so pleased with the number of high-caliber, innovative project submissions we've received, with more than 600 teachers having already applied to the program," says Amy Coupal, CEO of My Class Needs. “Each participating district has received funding, highlighting the demand for these types of important resources in classrooms across the Greater Vancouver region."

Since its inception in Canada in 2013, Fuel Your School has funded over $1,800,000 worth of projects, and supported 778 teachers in 233 schools in British Columbia. During the month of October, Chevron contributed $1 for every 30 litres purchased at participating Chevron stations, generating a total of $565,000.

"We are thrilled with the overwhelming success of Fuel Your School and the enthusiasm for STEM-based education resources in British Columbia," says Adrien Byrne, Policy, Government and Public Affairs Representative for Chevron. "Most importantly, the program is creating a positive impact in our local communities by providing support to educational initiatives based on individual classroom needs."

The program is part of Chevron’s overall support for education, which has totaled over $300 million worldwide since 2013, helping to provide students with the critical skills they will need to succeed in the jobs of the future. Preference is given to projects in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Below is a list of classroom projects from each district that represent the types of projects funded by the program so far.

• Burnaby: Heart rate monitors, for use in physical education and health programs, will teach students how to assess their physical fitness level, set fitness goals, and monitor progress.
• Richmond: Innovative writing tablets are being funded for outdoor learning initiatives.
• North Vancouver: Students will have the opportunity to experience geological processes from hands-on models, samples and equipment.
• Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows: Optical equipment will be utilized to apply understanding of ray diagrams, wave behavior, reflection, refraction, diffraction, dispersion and scattering to complete an optical obstacle course.
• West Vancouver: Robots and an iPad mini will be introduced to the classroom to explore coding and further develop STEM-related skills.
• Vancouver: Several students in grades 8 to 12 will receive rocket building kits to explore different aspects of projective motion.
• Surrey: An early primary classroom will receive money centers for young students to role play and connect mathematical concepts together.
• Delta: Math manipulatives will allow students, who are visual learners, to develop learning outcomes more easily.
• Langley: Robots and invention kits will be used to introduce coding to students in grades 4 and 5.
• Coquitlam: As part of an Electronics & Robotics class, students will leverage robotics kits to learn practical application of theory, including building and programming robots.
• New Westminster: Kindergarten and grade 1 students will use robots to integrate art education with applied design and technology.

about chevron corporation

Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron Corporation explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron Corporation is based in San Ramon, California. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com. Chevron Canada Limited is an indirect subsidiary of Chevron Corporation.

about my class needs foundation

My Class Needs is a registered Canadian charity created to support students and teachers in publicly-funded schools by providing resources that enrich their learning experiences. Following the crowdfunding models of other successful organizations like DonorsChoose.org or Kickstarter, www.myclassneeds.ca presents a user-friendly platform where teachers post descriptions of class projects, as well as the expected learning outcomes. Donors can contribute to the project(s) of their choosing and help promote them within their networks. Once a project is fully funded, My Class Needs purchases and coordinates its delivery. Teachers report on the success of their project and may create thank you notes for the supporters of their projects, which My Class Needs then delivers to donors.