Marathon’s facilities work closely with local schools, providing a variety of resources to augment learning experiences.
Marathon’s Catlettsburg, Kentucky, refinery conducts various initiatives with local schools. The refinery sponsors a Career Day for 8th grade students from the Tri-State Area (Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia) at its England Hill Training Facility. Catlettsburg employees also participate in a Back-to-School backpack program for underprivileged children. Employee volunteers maintain and instruct students at its Savage Branch Reserve as part of the students’ environmental education programs. The Catlettsburg refinery also sponsors a Science Teachers Workshop (TOYS) to demonstrate to elementary teachers how to teach science using toys and everyday household items.
Marathon's Garyville, Louisiana, refinery is actively involved in many local education programs. The refinery employees donate welding supplies and metal to W. St. John High School and Louisiana Technical College to assist them in teaching welding skills. The refinery also has adopted E. St. John Elementary, providing funds to the school and participating in various school activities such as lab experiments, tutoring and reading programs, and beautification efforts. Additionally, the Garyville refinery works with the Adult Education Center to present career opportunities to adults working to obtain their G.E.D.
The Robinson, Illinois, refinery annually sponsors “Backpacks for Students,” a program that purchases school supplies for underprivileged children. The refinery also contributes funds to Lincoln Trail Junior College to upgrade and update classroom facilities. The employees annually host a “Real World” event that allows high school students interested in pursuing careers in engineering to come on-site to hear presentations about refining; question a panel of employees; and tour the refinery. Employees partnered with Lincoln Trail College to develop two new courses. Students can enroll in courses leading toward a Petroleum Technology degree or Welding certification. Students in these courses benefit from Marathon employee knowledge and from a visit to the refinery.
Marathon’s Detroit, Michigan, refinery sponsors a reading program at Boynton Elementary school. Marathon also awarded a $2.4 million grant to the Detroit Science Center for the creation of a new Future Fuels Gallery at the museum. The 6,000 square-foot gallery will be one of the museum's largest exhibit areas and the Midwest's only public, educational display of petroleum and alternative fuels technology. It is planned to open at the Science Center in 2010.
The Texas City, Texas refinery annually sponsors a Shoe/School Supply drive to provide the necessities children need to start the school year. In addition, the refinery contributes funds to local school districts where employees volunteer for Junior Achievement and to judge math or science fairs.. The refinery also sponsors the Texas City Independent School District's Foundation for the Future and La Marque Independent School District's Education Foundation in creating an environment that encourages students to work at their highest potential.
The St. Paul Park refinery annually sponsors the Backpacks for School Supplies Drive and employees participate in Junior Achievement. The refinery is a major sponsor and supporter of Oltman Junior High Science and Math Event.
The Findlay (Ohio) Office Complex sponsors a pen pal program with Lincoln Elementary School in which students and employees write to each other monthly throughout the school year. On Earth Day, the students and employees go on a field trip to Oakwood’s Park, which Marathon has adopted through the Adopt-A-Park program. They participate in an hour-and-a-half program coordinated by the Marathon Wild@Work Team and the Hancock Park District. The field trip includes learning about mammals, reptiles and habitats, playing nature games. A brief nature hike allows everyone to see birds, frogs and insects in their natural habitat. The Findlay Office Complex employees also assisted the Columbus, Ohio, Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in developing the “Energy on Wheels” program for Ohio students. The program introduces science topics to schools with a high-energy interactive assembly presentation adapted for the grade levels of the participants.
Employees of Speedway SuperAmerica LLC’s Enon, Ohio, corporate office volunteer in local schools to teach business skills such as work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through Junior Achievement. Volunteers are given materials to review and present to kids K-12. The Junior Achievement program usually takes one hour of instruction weekly for up to ten weeks. Some schools participate in JA in a Day, in which volunteers each prepare one lesson plans and then rotate through the classrooms, covering all the lessons in one day. SSA corporate employees also help support an annual Junior Achievement Bowl-a-thon through fundraising and participation, an effort that received more than $9,000 in donations in 2009.
Marathon’s Canton, Ohio, refinery employees have participated in the Adopt-A-School program with Dueber Elementary since 2004. In addition to a financial donation, the refinery's employees volunteer their time and participate in the After-School Program, conducting occupational presentations, providing one-on-one mentoring and tutoring students in math, reading, science, social studies, and art, as well as assisting in other enrichment activities. A yearly Science Experiment Day is held for all students to encourage interest in science by participating in numerous lab experiments.