Valero Partners with Gulf of Mexico Alliance to Fund School Program in Port Arthur​

In 2022, Valero donated $30,000 in support of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), a regional network that collectively addresses issues regarding the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico, and their Ocean Guardian School program.

The program, a collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), selected Lincoln Middle School near Valero’s Port Arthur refinery to receive annual mini-grant funding for up to five years so students could implement hands-on school or community-based conservation projects.

“I would like to thank Valero for granting Abraham Lincoln Middle School with the opportunity of having the Ocean Guardian Project at our school,” said Aurielle Mosley, lead teacher of the project.

In the first year, Lincoln students participated in a year-long activity focusing on how to take care of their local watersheds and aquatic environments. Through the Six Rs – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Rot, Recycle – the students showed how their community and environment are being affected, and came up with potential solutions for change.

“We learned quickly that we are problem fixers, and great awareness marketers. We also discovered that we are true pioneers for change,” said Ms. Mosley.

Next school year, a new group of Lincoln students will get to tackle another conservation project, thanks to Valero’s donation. Ms. Mosley says that through their mission to go forward with the knowledge and resources within reach, students will be able to take the project to the next level.

To learn more about the Ocean Guardian Project, click here. (open hyperlink in Chrome for best results)

Photo above: Abraham Lincoln Middle School students and Ms. Aurielle Mosley, (middle) lead teacher of the Ocean Guardian Project.