Frank Betts, Operations Superintendent for ExxonMobil’s Santa Ynez Unit, donated $10,000 on behalf of the company to the Teachers Network-IMPACT II in honor of the 25-year partnership between ExxonMobil and the Teachers Network at the Santa Barbara County. The donation was made at the annual Education Celebration dinner on Wednesday. The dinner was attended by 300 teachers, business leaders, educators and supporters at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott in Buellton.

ExxonMobil first provided the seed money to bring the national Teachers Network to Santa Barbara County in 1984, and has funded annual grants through the program since its inception. The Teachers Network supports innovative and effective classroom teaching strategies created by Santa Barbara County teachers and focuses on making them available to teachers and administrators countywide.

“We are extremely grateful to ExxonMobil for continuing to provide funding that has enabled us to support teachers for 25 years, especially in these critical budget times,” said County Superintendent Bill Cirone, whose office coordinates the program.

Petti Pfau, director of Teacher Programs and Support at the Santa Barbara County Education Office, explained that the program has provided essential support for teachers.

“The partnership between ExxonMobil, the Teachers Network, and the Santa Barbara County Education Office helps provide teachers with the resources and encouragement they need to be successful in the classroom,” she said. “The results are clear to see.”

Teachers who receive the grants have also been enthusiastic about the program’s outcome. Tracy Thompson, a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher at La Colina Junior High, received funding from ExxonMobil for a Curriculum Project Grant titled “Pythagorean Theorem Plus.”

“I feel very fortunate to have been supported in developing the Pythagorean Theorem Plus Project for my junior high kids,” Thompson said. “Having ExxonMobil as a sponsor allowed me to purchase additional materials for my classes and give my students the opportunity to “see” the Pythagorean Theorem in many ways. I also appreciate the opportunity the program gave me to grow as a teacher as I developed the hands-on materials and integrated many strands of mathematics.”

The Teachers Network offers numerous grants to Santa Barbara County teachers, many of whom were honored at Wednesday’s celebration.

Call Petti Pfau at 805.964.4710, ext. 5281 for further information about the IMPACT-II program.

— Wendy Shelton represents the Santa Barbara County Education Office. Petti Pfau is the director of Teacher Programs and Support at the Santa Barbara County Education Office.