DALLAS -- ExxonMobil and the City of Dallas kicked off the 2007 ExxonMobil Green Team last Friday by breaking ground on the first of four new homes to be built in the historic Joppa neighborhood in conjunction with Dallas-Area Habitat for Humanity.
The ExxonMobil Green Team, now in its 26th year in Dallas, provides a meaningful summer work experience for 100 high school students from low- to moderate-income homes. The program is supported by a $265,000 grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation, which funds student salaries and costs incurred by the City of [image-nocss] Dallas for administration.
The ExxonMobil Green Team is unique, because it allows us to reach out to Dallas youth and demonstrate the importance of making a difference in our community, while providing them with a summer job, educational opportunities and a paycheck, said Fred Marshall, global community relations manager for ExxonMobil. Over the next eight weeks, these students will learn the value of hard work while helping revitalize a neighborhood with so much historical significance in Dallas. Our hope is that the experience gained by the participants this summer will inspire them to pursue higher education, achieve their goals and continue to be a positive force in the community.
Dallas-Area Habitat for Humanity will offer students hands-on instruction as they spend the summer building the four new homes in the Joppa neighborhood. Upon completion, the homes will be sold to qualified applicants. Participants will plan and work together on a neighborhood recycling day, which will be part of a special week-long environmental project, and will also take part in environmentally-focused, educational field trips.
In addition to their work responsibilities, the ExxonMobil Green Team encourages students to explore higher education opportunities. As part of the program, participants attend classes at the ExxonMobil Academy at El Centro College where they receive instruction in mathematics, reading, writing and computer literacy. Students are offered the opportunity to receive college credit for the coursework they complete through the program, and many will begin their college careers this summer. All will earn a paycheck for time spent in the program, whether working or attending classes.
Since its launch in 1981, ExxonMobil has invested more than $6 million in the Dallas Green Team. Upon completion of the 2007 program, the ExxonMobil Green Team will have 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 in cities across the country, including Torrance, Calif.; Chalmette, La.; Clinton, N.J.; Paulsboro, N.J.; Beaumont, Texas; Houston; and Arlington, Va.
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