CISDR Girls Learn About Math, Science, Engineering, and Technology with ExxonMobil

DALLAS - Feb. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- During a four-hour morning session, these young women learned about science and engineering careers as part of the 63rd annual National Engineers Week. Through this collaboration with the ExxonMobil Foundation and the National Engineers Week Foundation, CISDR aims to teach these students about science and engineering careers, empowering them to go into careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

CISDR brought in 25 students from Elsie Robertson Middle School in Lancaster Independent School District (ISD), 14 students from Bowie Middle School in Irving ISD, and 10 students from Richardson West Junior High School in Richardson ISD. The students sat in on a chemistry demonstration in the morning before breaking into small groups. Each breakout group paired several girls with a mentor to create a demonstration to show the rest of the group. Thanks to these breakout groups, the girls got to work with women in engineering careers and learn an appreciation for the STEM fields.

In addition to learning about STEM careers during the National Engineers Week, these 49 CISDR students will continue to learn about science and engineering throughout the year via CISDR’s Girls Exploring Math and Science (GEMS) initiative. In the 2012-13 school year, GEMS helped 227 middle school girls improve their science, technology, engineering, and math skills through collaborative, hands-on learning activities. At the end of the year, 98% of the girls in the GEMS program reported self improvement in their math and science performance.

For additional information about Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region or to make a charitable donation, please refer to the organization website at www.cisdallas.org.

About Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region:

Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region, Inc. (CISDR) is a nonprofit organization that provides one-on-one, comprehensive academic and support services to at-risk students directly on school campuses in the Dallas region. Our mission is to surround students with a community of support and empower them to stay in school and succeed in life. Since 1985, we have served over 155,000 struggling students, with over 90% staying in school. Today, we are working on 67 school campuses in 13 school districts in Dallas, Collin, Ellis, Hunt, and Rockwall Counties.

About the ExxonMobil Foundation:

The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation  in the United States. Globally, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation provide funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalysts for development, and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2012, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation , its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $256 million in contributions worldwide. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

About National Engineers Week:

National Engineers Week (eweek.org), founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science. Engineers Week also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers' contributions to society and is among the oldest of America's professional outreach efforts. For more information please visit www.eweek.org.