BATON ROUGE - ExxonMobil on Monday said it will direct $1 million to the East Baton Rouge School System between now and 2026 -- funding earmarked for teacher training, early elementary school literacy programs and on-the-job experiences for high school students.

Nearly 75 percent of the pledged money will be invested to provide three years of math and science literacy training to teachers.

“ExxonMobil wants to support our teachers as they are the heart of quality education," said ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Public and Government Affairs Manager Stephanie Cargile. "Their ability to teach math and science literacy is critical as our Louisiana industry innovates to meet global energy needs while reducing emissions.” 

Another $100,000 is marked for Kindergarten-through-third grade literacy, and $162,000 is destined for craft internship salaries -- enough to support 27 high school students over the summer.

The remaining funds from the pool will provide scholarships for Scotlandville Middle and Scotlandville High School students in the initial LSU Future Scholars program, and will cover expenses for students attending the Southern University Engineering Summer Institute.

EBR Schools Superintendent Sito Narcisse said the collaboration is "another example of how our Pathways to Bright Futures program presents game-changing opportunities for success in college or a high-wage field."