Most people don't know that public school teachers spend, on average, more than $350 of their own money each school year to pay for school supplies and instructional materials needed by their students. A report by the National School Supply and Equipment Association found many of these supplies are basics such as paper, pencils, and art supplies.
To help close the gap, DonorsChoose.org has worked since 2000 to crowd-fund public school classroom projects by providing the needed funds to purchase supplies for teachers' projects. For the past two years, drivers in Alameda and Contra Costa, California have had another way to support local public schools—through the Fuel Your School program, an innovative collaboration between DonorsChoose.org and Chevron.
This year, Fuel Your School is expanding to help generate nearly $5 million for public schools across nine U.S. markets, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Kern and Sacramento counties. Chevron will donate $1 for every eight gallon or more fill up from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 at participating Chevron and Texaco stations, up to a maximum donation amount for each area.
The Fuel Your School program is one of the ways Chevron is supporting STEM education in local public schools to prepare today's students for the jobs of tomorrow. Since its inception in 2010, Fuel Your School has funded 3,242 classroom projects across 571 schools. The program has grown each year to support students in the communities where we have business operations and is and is part of Chevron's Energy for Learning initiative, which has contributed more than $100 million for education in the U.S. over the past three years.
To learn about other projects funded through the program, visit www.FuelYourSchool.com.
How you can get involved
Help us make a big impact for students. During the month of October, simply fuel up with eight or more gallons at a participating Chevron or Texaco station. You can find participating Chevron locations or track the progress of project funding at www.FuelYourSchool.com. Tell everyone you know about fueling up in October, and be sure to go to Facebook and "like" Chevron Fuel Your School.