Channelview employees volunteered to bring the Junior Achievement program to student in grades Kindergarten through 3rd at a local school during the fall semester. Volunteers taught 19 classes while reaching more than 350 students at Harvey Brown Elementary located a short distance from the plant. JA uses hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life.
“Teaching a Junior Achievement class is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The time spent with my 3rd grade class was the highlight of my week”, said Channelview Technical Engineer Erin Kerr. “This was my first year with JA and I can’t wait to start my next class!”
Volunteers ended the fall semester with a graduation party to celebrate the students’ successful completion of the program. Plans for the spring semester include adding more volunteers while including 4th and 5th grades with the hope of reaching every classroom at the school.
“I am so grateful for LyondellBasell and their employees. Every single time they walk through the doors of our campus they have a smile on their face and are ready to make a difference”, said LeKeisha LeBlanc, the school’s principal.
Volunteers helping students in Channelview is just one example of how LyondellBasell and Junior Achievement are making a difference in education in the Houston area. Last November the company sponsored a JA Finance Park at the Houston Refinery in east Houston. More than 70 volunteers from multiple sites taught 335 students about personal financial decision making-skills through experiential, real life simulations. Students received a life scenario including a job, salary, and family situation to use as the basis to budget their expenses for one month. In 2012, LyondellBasell taught 131 classrooms reaching more than 2600 students in the Texas Gulf Coast region.