BP Education Grants

BP, an internationally known company specializing in oil and energy, invests heavily in community efforts according to its specific priorities. One of these priorities is education. BP funds educational outreach across the globe. In developing countries, these funding efforts often involve community development and building of infrastructure; in the United States, these efforts focus on teaching students about energy, the environment, or math and science--areas aligned with BP's key focus areas as a corporation.

International Education Funding

Across the globe, BP has funded educational efforts, according to its website, that can help the company to "invest in ways that are relevant to local interests and needs." In China, for example, this priority led BP to help fund a business education office in a local university, filling a needed gap in the community. In Angola, BP helped to develop initiatives to improve legal training and to define "health risks" at local construction project sites, so as to ensure that ongoing development was conducted in a way that would not jeopardize residents' health. BP also supports health education efforts in a variety of countries, with particular effort devoted to combating diseases such as AIDS and malaria.

U.S. Education Funding: Energy Education

BP funds an ongoing educational initiative, the "U.S. and Canada A+ for Energy Programme." This initiative provides funding for school programs centered on the topic of energy education, so that a new generation of consumers can become aware of the importance of energy as a topic and of their role in preserving it. In the six years of the program, over $16 million in grants have been awarded in the United States; over 200,000 students have been helped by these grants, which can make funds available to teachers for special projects which are "energy-themed." In Canada, BP has funded $1.5 million in similar grants since 2007, when it began funding this topic area in Canada.

U.S. Education Funding: Science and Mathematics

BP's third area of funding for education is in the area of mathematics and science. While the company has funded such initiatives in other countries (such as the United Kingdom, which is mentioned on its website), much of its efforts in this topic area are concentrated in the United States. The company spends about $2.25 million, according to its website, on this initiative, much of which goes to fund summer camps and scholarships in Louisiana. Over 1,000 people are employed to support these efforts.