Velda Addison, Hart Energy

It is not uncommon for teachers to dig into their own pockets to buy supplies for students to use in their classrooms.

Some may need materials for science projects or art supplies for a special mural, while others may need comfortable seating for reading nooks, microscopes for science labs, or tablets or new books to expand their learning horizons.

Thankfully, Chevron’s Fuel Your School program is back again this school year.

As part of the program, nearly $6 million will be within reach for eligible public school teachers in need of funds for classroom projects, including those focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Public school teachers in 18 communities have until Nov. 15 to post classrooms projects at www.DonorsChoose.org. But how much cash is doled out depends on much fuel consumers pump from participating Chevron or Texaco stations. For those purchasing at least eight gallons of fuel, Chevron said it will donate $1, or up to nearly $6 million, to the classroom projects.

Despite tough times in the oil and gas industry, it is good to see that the San Ramon, California-based company has not let lower profits stop it from giving to worthy causes such as furthering the education of young people.

“Chevron’s Fuel Your School program helps equip teachers with the resources they need for engaging lessons and activities—including hands-on science based activities to spark curiosity in young minds and inspire future engineers and scientists,” Dale Walsh, president of Chevron Americas Products, said in a news release.

The program was started in 2010 and has helped fuel more than 33,685 classroom projects, the company said. Among them was a project for sixth- through eighth-graders attending an applied science and mathematics class at a Yuma, Arizona, elementary school. The teacher’s $400 wish for wood sticks, popsicle sticks, scissors, chalk, markers and masking tape for STEM exploration projects was granted.

“They will be constructing bridges, catapults, roller coaster simulators, simple machines and much more,” according to a post about the project. “This engages everyone, even those who struggle. Lots of research will go on during the planning and designing plan. They will have to know the how and why things work. In short, they will not only learn [how] to build/construct, but they will incorporate research, reading, and justification or resources.”

The project was one of the more than 16,000 projects funded that focused on STEM.

“Teachers are paying more money out of their own pockets for the supplies they need to provide meaningful learning opportunities for students,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org. “Chevron has helped to fund thousands of these immersive learning projects, many that have introduced the field of STEM to numerous students, providing them with new experiences that help connect what they read to real-life applications.”

Anyone interested can learn more about the program and find out which communities are participating by visiting www.FuelYourSchool.com.

But generosity and financial support don’t have to be limited to participating communities. Anyone can independently donate to classroom projects listed at www.DonorsChoose.org.

Velda Addison can be reached at vaddison@hartenergy.com.