$10,000 from BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals enhances math and science instruction in local schools

PORT ARTHUR, TX, November 25, 2013 – A total of $10,000 in grants awarded by BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC (BASF TOTAL) is helping promote and improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in local classrooms. The funds were used to purchase creative new learning tools and resources for students at Groves Elementary School, Groves Middle School, Port Neches Groves High School, Taft Elementary School and Van Buren Elementary School.

“BASF TOTAL’s grant program is one way that our company provides direct support to STEM education in our community schools,” said Greg Masica, Vice President and Site Manager of BASF TOTAL. “We appreciate the work teachers are doing to increase interest in STEM subjects and help students understand how these courses relate to future careers.”

Groves Elementary School used grant funds to purchase a digital smart board and a classroom set of Delta Science Content Readers, which strengthen reading-comprehension skills using informative and engaging text, photos and illustrations. The school selected the earth science edition which focuses on soils, weather and climate, the solar system and related topics.

“We are so appreciative of the support we always get from BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals,” said Groves Elementary Principal Scarlet Hammersmith. “The grant has provided our school with excellent resources to help our kids learn.”

The Groves Middle School science department bought classroom sets of ScienceSaurus student handbooks, which include content for all grade levels on a variety of science-related topics. The handbooks help teachers cover complex science content in a way that students can easily understand, and they also meet objectives of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards.

“I can’t tell you how much I love these handbooks and how important it is having these as a learning tool in our classrooms,” said Brandy Block, Science Teacher at Groves Middle School.  “With the addition of this resource, our teachers will be able to increase our students’ comprehensive knowledge of science.”

Port Neches Groves High School used grant funds to establish a water quality/environmental monitoring program on the nearby Neches River to teachstudents the techniques of gathering real-world data that is environmentally relevant and reinforce concepts learned in class.

“The program will provide a new perspective into the interconnectedness of science,” said Annette Meier, Advanced Biology Teacher at Port Neches Groves High School. “It is my hope that no matter what field of science they choose to pursue, such as biology, chemistry or physics, students will see that all subjects complement each other and render an entire picture, rather than small, isolated pieces of a puzzle.”

Taft Elementary School purchased 20 iPads® and a docking cart that will be used by all teachers at the school campus. Applications were added for reading, math, science and social studies, and teachers have attended Region V workshops to learn about more applications and uses for their new computers in the classroom.

“Teachers were so excited to be able to purchase the iPads®, and our students and teachers will benefit from their use for many years,” said Nathan Addison, Principal, Taft Elementary.

Second-grade teachers at Van Buren Elementary School used BASF TOTAL grant funds to purchase instruments and scientific units with experiments to enhance the learning environment in classrooms.

BASF TOTAL offers science grants to schools in neighboring Groves, Texas. To qualify for funding, Groves schools must submit proposals detailing how funds will be used to improve and enliven science instruction and create positive impacts on student learning.

For a press photo, please click on the following link:

http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/11-25-13_ScienceGrants5.jpg

Suggested caption: Van Buren Elementary students conduct science experiments using equipment purchased with grant funds from BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC.

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BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals, LLC

BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC is located in Port Arthur, Texas and manufactures a range of chemicals used in hundreds of consumer products. BASF TOTAL is a joint venture partnership between BASF Corporation, 60 percent ownership, and Total Petrochemicals &Refining USA, 40 percent ownership. For more information about BASF Corporation and Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. visit www.basf.us or www.totalpetrochemicalsusa.com.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,600 employees in North America, and had sales of $18.5 billion in 2012. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Incorporated

Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. (TPRI) is part of the Refining-Petrochemicals Americas Division of Total S.A., one of the largest integrated international oil and gas companies with operations in more than 130 countries worldwide. TPRI is headquartered in Houston and is a major producer of polypropylene, polystyrene, styrene, base chemicals and polyethylene in the United States. Its refinery produces transportation fuels and other petroleum-based products for the global market. The company employs more than 1,600 who work in support of manufacturing and research/development activities in Texas and Louisiana. Visit us online at www.totalpetrochemicalsrefiningusa.com.

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