Seven Richmond Nonprofits Improve Education and Create Jobs
Results Enabled by Chevron’s Investments through the California Partnership Initiative

RICHMOND, Calif., April 25, 2012 – Leaders from nonprofits, schools and local governments came together to announce the cumulative impact of Chevron’s $1 million investment towards supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and economic development. The investment comes from Chevron’s California Partnership, an initiative to invest in education and economic development in its home state of California.

“We are proud to work closely with nonprofits that are successfully empowering Richmond residents,” said Chevron Richmond Refinery General Manager Nigel Hearne. “Whether it’s helping adults participate in today’s economy or educating youth to be eligible for the jobs of the future, we believe that everyone in Richmond benefits when we close the skills gap.”

For example, the RichmondBUILD Green Careers Academy prepares Richmond residents for jobs in the construction and renewable energy industries. Prior to joining the RichmondBUILD program, Alanna McKinney was unemployed and unable to pay many of her bills. However, McKinney took advantage of the training opportunity that RichmondBUILD provided and is now working as a carpenter for Turner Group Construction. 

“One door just needed to be opened, and I would push through and work harder than ever,” said McKinney. “I am so grateful to have a job. And I can look at buildings in Richmond and know that I helped build them with my own two hands.”

With the funding for the Gooden College Connection STEM Project, high school students received after-school coaching to improve their math and science competencies. “With California Partnership funding, we helped student participants improve their STEM skills and increase their collective grade point average from 2.44 to 3.03 at the most critical stage in their high school careers,” said Veli Waller, project coordinator at Gooden College Connection. “This program is getting kids excited about the STEM subjects and opening doors for them in the future.”

The results of the $1 million California Partnership investment include:

• Chevron Mathematics Coach Initiative – West Contra Costa Unified School District – In the wake of budget cuts to math coaching in West Contra Costa County, Chevron funding benefitted 38 teachers and improved math instruction for more than 4,000 students.
• Gooden College Connection STEM Project – Provided 62 students with more than 4,200 hours of college preparation and instruction in the STEM subjects to freshmen students at John F. Kennedy and Richmond high schools, which resulted in grade point averages of participants increasing from 2.44 to 3.03.
• MESA Schools Program at California State University East Bay – The STEM education program reached more than 1,000 students in 11 West Contra Costa schools. 
• North Richmond Transitional Work Program, Rubicon – Graduated almost 90 percent of its clients with a certificate in landscape maintenance and 16 participants were hired for transitional jobs.
• Career Pipelines Workforce Development Initiative, Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP) – Chevron’s contribution to GRIP helped 23 out-of-work Richmond residents obtain full-time employment and nine residents find part-time employment.
• RichmondBUILD Green Careers Academy, City of Richmond’s Employment and Training Department – Helped 60 participants obtain full-time, unsubsidized jobs averaging $18 per hour in the local construction industry. 
• Local Economic Development Initiative (LEDI), West Contra Costa Business Development Center – Helped approximately 200 local small businesses learn new skills to obtain local contracts and secure more than $2 million in new projects.

The nonprofits’ work can be viewed in a video series available at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5B6D9C949FF60C76&feature=plcp.

About West Contra Costa Unified School District
Located on the San Francisco Bay, the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) serves more than 29,000 students from preschool through grade 12 as well as adult learners. As one of seven unified school districts in Contra Costa County, we serve the cities of Richmond, Hercules, Pinole, El Cerrito, and San Pablo and the unincorporated areas of East Richmond Heights, El Sobrante, Kensington, Bay View-Montalvin Manor, North Richmond, and Tara Hills. With a 65 square mile jurisdiction, WCCUSD is the 30th largest local education agency in California.

About RichmondBUILD
Established in 2007, RichmondBUILD Pre-apprenticeship Construction Skills and Green Jobs Training Academy was first developed to create employment and career opportunities for Richmond residents and to implement a strategy for reducing violence in our community. RichmondBUILD has become a model green-collar job training program developing talent and skills in the high-wage construction and renewable energy industries. To date, RichmondBUILD graduates have an 80 percent placement rate with an average wage of $18 an hour.

About Gooden College Connection
The Gooden College Connection (GCC) is committed to helping academically capable, under-represented students achieve their goals toward higher education. We offer college preparatory services to selected high school scholars from West Contra Costa Unified School District and free public workshops about college. GCC believes that all interested students deserve a chance to receive higher education, regardless of their economic status. GCC takes steps in our community to make a difference in the lives of promising high school students by offering college application support.

About Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP)
GRIP is an interfaith and interracial collaboration founded in 1966.  Its membership consists of over forty congregations working together to address critical issues of human dignity and social justice. For over 40 years, GRIP has addressed the issues of homelessness beginning with the Richmond Food Pantry in 1971, which has evolved into the Souper Center serving daily hot meals. GRIP’s primary activities include: providing food, shelter and supportive services to help homeless individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency.

About Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA)
MESA is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and has a proven track record in producing math-based graduates by providing support such as classes, hands-on competitions, counseling, transfer support and a community environment to students from middle school through four-year college. MESA engages thousands of educationally disadvantaged students so they excel in math and science and graduate with math-based degree. The MESA Schools Program at California State University East Bay assists K-12 students from local middle and high schools to excel in math and science, and go on to college in math-based majors.

About Rubicon
Rubicon’s mission is to prepare very low-income people to achieve financial independence and to partner with people with mental illness on their journey of recovery.  Based in Richmond, California, Rubicon offers services throughout Contra Costa and Alameda counties. Since 1973, Rubicon has provided employment, housing, mental health, and other supportive services to individuals who are very low-income, especially people who are homeless or have mental illness.

About West Contra Costa Business Development Center
The Business Development Center is committed to helping entrepreneurs open and operate successful businesses. Our clients, primarily low-income, minority, and women entrepreneurs, benefit from individualized services, including business consulting, entrepreneurial training, and assistance in securing financing. We believe that by strengthening local businesses you create job opportunities and empower families, changing lives one small business at a time. Our Local Economic Development Initiative (LEDI) introduces West Contra Costa contractors to the public contracting arena and helps them compete for contracts and subcontracts on local projects. LEDI provides contractors access to 27 local public agencies and $150 million in upcoming local public works projects.

About Chevron
Chevron has been headquartered in California for 130 years and is the state's largest company. Chevron is the largest private employer in the Richmond area, with approximately 2,700 employees and 850 contractors. More information is available at www.chevron.com/CA.

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Contact: Melissa Ritchie, Chevron policy, government and public affairs +1 510-242-4700

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