Strong Communities - Education

In partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), we teamed up with other energy companies to provide funding and employee volunteers to install state-of-the-art STEM centers in both Lincoln Elementary School and New Town Elementary School in North Dakota. These installations were the first STEM labs to be installed in a public school in North Dakota (Lincoln) and on a reservation (New Town). In addition, teachers participated in an educational training led by CRSF to help them use the new educational products in their classrooms.

As a result of this funding, more than 500 students now have access to hands-on educational products, activities and technology and can learn coding, circuitry, engineering and more. STEM centers also can lead to more students exploring STEM-related jobs.

This collaborative project highlights how Marathon Oil works across our industry, with local tribes, communities, parents and educators to understand the needs of each group and respond in a way that creates authentic, tangible impact.

Supporting North Dakota Schools

“Today’s students need access to high-tech learning tools to understand the world they’re entering,” said Dickinson Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marcus Lewton. “Engaged corporate partners, like Devon, Flogistix and Marathon Oil, are vital to providing unique opportunities like these STEM centers. We’re excited to watch our students explore and grow with these new tools,” he continued.

Every year, 60% of Houston-area children enter kindergarten without the requisite reading skills. Children who do not read on level by the end of Grade 3 have only a one in eight chance of ever catching up and are four times more likely to drop out of school. This situation has been exacerbated by learning loss related to the pandemic. One tactic proven to combat these devastating statistics is having books at home that children are interested in reading. According to the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation (BBHLF), one book is available for every 300 children in low-income areas while there is an average of 12 books in the homes of their more affluent peers. BBHLF was formed to change this.

We’ve partnered with the BBHLF since its inception in 2013 to combat the literacy crisis through initiatives like the My Home Library program. This program gives students in kindergarten through fifth grade a pre-selected bundle of six books to add to their home library, free of charge. These books can help develop reading skills and create additional pathways to future success.

In 2022, the second year of our expansion program into other Marathon Oil operating regions, we distributed approximately 13,000 books to more than 2,100 students across schools in New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma. In total, the number of books we distributed increased by more than 40% from 2021. Since the launch of the My Home Library program, in partnership with BBHLF, we have provided nearly 41,000 books to students’ home libraries at no cost to the student or their schools.

With COVID-19 related restrictions easing, Marathon Oil employee volunteers were also able to assist in distributing My Home Library books across our operating areas. This year, we also thanked the teachers at these five schools by providing each with a bag full of highly needed school supplies, packed by Marathon Oil employee volunteers, to restock their classrooms mid-year.

In addition to the My Home Library program, we sponsor BBHLF’s Camp Adventure! at two Houston elementary schools. Camp Adventure’s science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and mathematics-based curriculum allows students to learn about real-life scientific discoveries and explore potential careers.

Teacher retention is a growing concern across the United States. As a result, in 2021 we launched the Unconventional Thinking in Teaching Program. This program awards grants to innovative teachers making a difference in the communities where our employees live, work and in many cases educate their children.

The Unconventional Thinking in Teaching Program seeks to increase retention by directly supporting teachers looking for new ways to solve problems and deliver results. The program is easily accessible to teachers in the counties where we operate and educators can apply or be nominated by members of their community. All submissions are judged blindly by a panel of Marathon Oil employees. In 2022, we expanded the program, awarding $75,000 in total, more than double the number of 2021 awards.

Thirty teachers were selected as winners, each receiving a $2,500 grant to support the purchase of classroom resources or personal professional development.

Celebrating Innovative Educators

“Thanks to the grant from Marathon Oil, I was able to purchase enough building kits and Lego and erector sets that my students can use their imaginations to design and build without worrying about whether they’ll have enough materials.

“Now my students look forward to our STEM challenges every time we use the kits, and they continue to get bolder with their designs. There may even be some future engineers in the making since they’ve been exposed to the exciting world of STEM!” - Susan Nash, Bridge Creek Intermediate School, Oklahoma