BP plc : BP and AFS Announce International High School Exchange Scholarship Program
12/21/2011| 02:10pm US/Eastern
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Release date: 21 December 2011
BP today announced the creation of a $4.5 million
high school scholarship program aimed at providing
financially challenged students with the opportunity to
study abroad and gain intercultural skills needed to
succeed in a global economy. The program, BP Global
Citizens of Tomorrow, was developed with AFS
Intercultural Programs, the non-profit cultural exchange
organization.
"As an international company we value the diversity of
talent and seek employees with experiences in other
cultures," said Helmut Schuster, BP Group's global human
resources director. "Our goal is to make intercultural
education available to students who might not otherwise
be able to afford the valuable career preparation that
overseas study provides."
Beginning in 2012, the BP Global Citizens of
Tomorrow program will award full scholarships to
approximately 250 financially challenged high school
students who have strong academic records and a desire to
study abroad. Students with demonstrated strengths in
academics, but particularly math, science, technology and
other fields important to the energy industry will be a
focus of the program. The goal of the program is to
increase intercultural awareness and in some cases,
second-language skills.
AFS staff and volunteers and BP employees in each
country will welcome and work with the young scholars who
are selected to participate in this innovative global
leadership development and education program.
In this first year of the planned five-year strategic
collaboration, the BP Global Citizens of Tomorrow
program, expects to sponsor the exchange of approximately
45 high school seniors between the U.S. and Brazil,
China, Malaysia, South Africa and India - countries with
rapidly expanding economies and BP operations. Full
scholarships will be provided for a 10-month academic
year of study in most countries.
About AFS Intercultural Programs
AFS provides intercultural learning experiences
that bring global cultures together by helping people
connect, transforming the lives of thousands of students,
families, and individuals every year. With AFS
organizations in more than 50 countries and a global
network of approximately 45,000 volunteers and staff, AFS
is committed to helping participants develop the
intercultural skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a
global marketplace through immersion experiences in
foreign cultures.
About BP
BP is one of the world's largest energy
companies. In the US, BP has approximately $52 billion in
assets and employs some 23,000 staff. The company's
main businesses are exploration and production of oil and
gas; refining, manufacturing and marketing of oil
products and petrochemicals; transportation and marketing
of natural gas. BP also has a growing renewables
business, BP Alternative Energy, focused on proven
technologies like wind and emerging forms of renewable
energy like advanced biofuels.
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