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Teachers Receive High Marks for Energy and Energy Conservation Lessons

Posted on: Monday, 11 July 2005, 12:01 CDT

LA PALMA, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- California schools have been energized with $2 million in grants and scholarships for the second year by BP's A+ for Energy program. BP, a global energy provider, will reward approximately 1,900 of the state's most innovative teachers for their creative energy and energy conservation curriculum.

The A+ for Energy program asks K-12 California educators to submit classroom, after-school, extra-curricular or summer activities that foster energy-conscious thinking. The program was developed to meet the needs of teachers in California who want to supplement their core curriculum with energy education activities. The call for entries went out in January 2005, and BP received more than 900 applications from a total of 13,533 teachers. A complete list of winners is included at the end of this release.

"We're thrilled to have once again received such a tremendous number of inventive responses from California's teachers," said Thomas Markin, Vice President of State Government Affairs, BP America Inc. "Our state's classrooms are brimming with tremendous creativity, but in many cases, lacking in resources. We at BP are pleased to be able to supply the funds that can bring such tremendous energy conservation projects to life. This year more than 65,000 students will be impacted by the A+ for Energy grant program."

BP once again encouraged applicants to think outside of the box, and the creative submissions ranged from energy fun camps, to lessons focusing on how to create an energy efficient home and classroom.

"With the help of talented California teachers, it is our hope that these grants will serve as a spring board for a life-long educational journey that will inspire today's youth to become responsible, energy conscious adults," said Thomas Markin.

The A+ for Energy applications were reviewed and selected by an independent panel of California state educational and environmental non- governmental-organization leaders. The grants will be presented in increments of $5,000 and $10,000, and the winners will be formally recognized at a celebratory awards ceremony in Los Angeles on July 11, 2005. California government and community leaders, and BP representatives will join teachers participating in the celebration, as well as celebrities Wendie Malick and Amy Smart.

There are 40 outstanding teachers who applied for and won grants for the second consecutive year. Amelia Valinsky-Fillipaw of Kettering Elementary School in Long Beach is a second-time winner and is getting her third graders energized to learn and explore the energy that surrounds them. Amelia's program is a fun blend of components including hands-on activities such as making tofu dogs in a solar cooker, investigative approaches, field trips and guest speakers. Sharon Harris, recently named "Teacher of the Year" at South High School in Torrance, is using her grant money this year to focus on renewable and non-renewable energy. As part of her program, she plans to coordinate with the campus' auto shop to sponsor a car show, including cars that run on alternative fuels. Barbara Herms of Plainfield Elementary School in Woodland is continuing her after school program. Her students are developing a newspaper to report on their field trips, experiments and other program experiences.

BP partners with the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project to support energy education in California schools by supplying course content and curriculum that is aligned with state standards for the core subject areas of science, math and social studies for all grades. As part of its A+ for Energy program, BP will award grant recipients with a scholarship to attend a five-day training conference hosted by the NEED Project to be held in California in July and August 2005. The all-inclusive scholarship will cover travel, meals and lodging expenses as well as a NEED Science of Energy Kit valued at $500. The kit includes classroom tools and materials to help educators teach energy.

About BP

BP is the single, global brand formed by the combination of the former British Petroleum, Amoco Corporation, Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) and Burmah Castrol. BP is a global producer, manufacturer and marketer of oil, gas, chemicals and renewable energy sources. Everyday, BP provides energy solutions to approximately 13 million customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit http://www.bp.com/.

About NEED

NEED provides energy education training and curriculum to K-12 teachers and students throughout the United States. NEED programs encourage a "KIDS TEACHING KIDS" approach to education, and provide teachers with the background and content knowledge they need to teach energy in a fun an energizing way. NEED materials are correlated to the National Science Education Standards and to the California Academic Content Standards for science, language arts and social studies. NEED provides workshops and classroom materials to interested teachers and school districts in California. For more information about NEED, visit http://www.need.org/.

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McCaffrey Middle School, Galt Theodore Judah Elementary School, Sacramento Sheldon High School, Sacramento Luther Burbank High School, Sacramento Genesis Charter School, Sacramento Sheldon High School, Sacramento San Bernardino County Bloomington Christian School, Bloomington Lucerne Valley High School, Lucerne Valley Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga J.C. 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BP

CONTACT: Cindy Wymore of BP, +1-714-228-6719; or Christine Pierson ofEdelman, +1-916-442-2331, for BP

Web site: http://www.bp.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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