Aug 4 2008
Forty local high school students graduated from the 27th annual ExxonMobil Green Team program on August 1, equipped with newfound knowledge and an appreciation for the environment and going green. Honored by ExxonMobil, their nonprofit internship coordinators and professors from Southern Methodist University (SMU), the students wrapped up their summer at the Museum of Nature and Science in Fair Park, the site of one of the Green Team’s environmental field trips earlier in the summer.
The ExxonMobil Green Team provides a meaningful work experience for high school students from low- to moderate-income households. Students are placed with selected area nonprofits, where they work in teams on environmental and conservation projects.
Select students received awards honoring their exemplary program participation from internship coordinators at their respective agencies. SMU professors also presented awards to Green Team students who demonstrated academic achievement throughout the summer classes. Green Team students participated in environmentally-focused internships with Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, City of Dallas Water Conservation Division, City of Dallas Park and Recreation, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, Heart House Dallas, Student Conservation Association, and Texas Discovery Gardens.
“The ExxonMobil Green Team is more than an internship or a classroom discussion; it is about transforming students into key leaders in the community, with a focus on the environment and higher education,” said Truman Bell, senior program officer for education and diversity, ExxonMobil Foundation.
“We believe that education is the cornerstone for achievement and success. Continuing education over the summer break is important not only to keep students’ minds active and engaged, but also to prepare them for their futures, whether on a college campus or in the professional world.”
Throughout the program, students received instruction from the Maguire Energy Institute at (SMU) and attended classes in career exploration, leadership development and environmental engineering. On Fridays, the Green Team participated in educational field trips and activities with an environmental focus. Students are paid for all time spent in the program.
“We are inspired to see a corporation investing in high school students, and it is an honor to continue our relationship with ExxonMobil on the administration of the Green Team,” said Phyllis Bernstein, chair, Volunteer Center of North Texas’ Dallas County Council on Volunteerism. “From teaching children about ecology to making environmentally-themed PSAs, the ExxonMobil Green Team students spent the summer impacting their community while also preparing for their futures. Without a doubt, these students added to the success of our participating nonprofits this summer.”