Aug 11 2007
The ExxonMobil Green Team celebrates the completion of its 26th year in Dallas today by presenting four homes built in the Joppa neighborhood of southeast Dallas to their new owners. Over the past eight weeks the Green Team, which is made up of 100 high school students from the Dallas area, constructed the four homes in conjunction with Dallas-Area Habitat for Humanity. During the ribbon cutting, the Green Team will present the four families with the keys to their new homes.
Supported by a $265,000 grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation and administered by the City of Dallas, the ExxonMobil Green Team gives 100 high school students from low- to moderate-income homes the opportunity to earn a paycheck while gaining needed skills and knowledge to pursue a higher education. The program establishes a pattern of service, encouraging students to utilize their opportunities to improve the communities in which they live and work. As a result of their efforts and dedication, the Hatch, Jackson, Stewart and Thomas families will be given a fresh start with their new homes and a new world of opportunity that homeowner status will afford them.
In addition to community service, the ExxonMobil Green Team is largely focused on education. Students enroll in classes taught by college instructors at the ExxonMobil Academy at El Centro College. Participants are given the opportunity to earn dual high school and college credit for math, reading, writing and computer literacy courses completed during the program. Students are paid for all time spent working and in the classroom.
“One of the main goals of the ExxonMobil Green Team is to give students a foundation for success,” said Mark Boudreaux, corporate citizenship and community investments manager, Exxon Mobil Corporation. “The Green Team is not just a summer job; rather it is an opportunity for the young people involved to learn valuable life skills, get ahead in the classroom, and realize the value of community service. We hope that the varied experiences of the past eight weeks will empower students with the knowledge, motivation and skills they need to pursue a college education, achieve their dreams and enjoy successful futures.”
The ExxonMobil Green Team is supported by many community partners, including: City of Dallas Housing Department, City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department, City of Dallas Sanitation Department, Dallas-Area Habitat for Humanity, Dallas Independent School District, El Centro College and Enterprise Community Partners.
Since its launch in 1981, ExxonMobil has invested more than $6 million in the Dallas Green Team, including a $265,000 grant in 2007. With the completion of the 2007 program, the ExxonMobil Green Team has reached more than 3,300 students, constructed 33 homes and completed numerous park improvements throughout Dallas. The Dallas program has become a model for other ExxonMobil Green Team programs across the country, in: Torrance, Calif.; Chalmette, La.; Clinton, N.J.; Paulsboro, N.J.; Beaumont, Texas; Houston; and Arlington, Va.