ExxonMobil Guyana partnered with the Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC) Inc. on Saturday to stage the 7th STEM Conference held at the Ramada Hotel in the country’s capital, Georgetown. The company said this latest collaboration with VYC is part of its ongoing commitment to the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the South American country.
Under the theme “Present Innovators, Future Creators,” the event brought together 400 students from 11 Secondary schools in Georgetown. These schools have been actively implementing the STEM after-school programme facilitated by VYC Inc.
ExxonMobil Guyana in a press update on Monday said it made a contribution of some GYD$20M to support these activities, which are expected to run from September 2019 to June 2020.
Speaking at the event, Wells Execution Manager Ryan Turton shared his love for STEM and its impact on his career. Turton, who has degrees in Aerospace Technology and Mechanical Engineering, has worked with ExxonMobil for 13 years in four different countries on four continents.
“When it became time to consider a career choice engineering was a natural fit. Growing up on a farm gave me a very practical view of the world and engineering was a career that allowed me to apply fundamental science and mathematics, coupled with technology to solve real world challenges,” he told the participants.
Meanwhile, he also spoke of ExxonMobil Guyana’s commitment to the social and economic advancement of Guyana by building capacity through activities such as the STEM conference. “This STEM programme is part of a long-standing partnership with the Volunteer Youth Corps, and by investing in joint efforts such as this we are helping students develop the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and future careers,” he added.
A team of engineers from the company joined students throughout the day to participate in various exercises and experiments.
ExxonMobil Guyana has partnered with VYC Inc to implement STEM education in schools since 2012. In the afterschool programme students are exposed to practical lessons in Physics, Chemistry, Integrated Science and Information Technology. There is also a three-day Science Camp at a local environmental facility.
