British Petroleum, which is more informally known as BP, believes that with education comes success, which is why the leading international energy company gives back to schools nationwide through its BP A+ for Energy grants program.

Pasadena ISD schools continue to impress the company with innovative projects in math, science and energy, as Rick Schneider Middle School, Dobie High School and Pasadena Memorial High School were each awarded $10,000 BP A+ for Energy grants for the 2008-09 school year. The A+ for Energy award program was developed to meet the needs of Pre-K-12 teachers who want to expand their core curriculum with energy education activities.

This is the second year in a row Schneider Middle School has received an A+ for Energy grant, and this year the school was awarded the grant for an after-school science program called “Power Hour,” which will meet twice a month to cover different topics and how energy is related to each of those topics. The grant will fund hands-on activities for students participating in the program including solar car races, a school-wide composting project, the designing of eco-sensitive future cities and much more.

Amy Denton, Schneider science teacher and grant coordinator, said she believes modest gains seen in school-wide science scores were a result of the BP grant the school received last year, and she plans to continue to build on those gains with this year’s grant.

“We know the power of this grant program, and we are excited about what it will allow us to do through our new project ‘Power Hour,’” she said. “These funds will allow us to give our students exposure to relevant concepts through actual experiences that many of the students would otherwise not have. There are also math, ELAR and social studies aspects to the program so we hope to strengthen our students in those areas as well, and BP is helping us do just that.”

Collaboratively, Pasadena Memorial’s “Switched-On Physics: Engineering, Waves and Alternative Energy” solar powered digital pipe organ project and Dobie’s “Switched-On Optics: Lasers, Light and Electromagnetic Radiation” also switched on the interest of BP and each received a $10,000 A+ for Energy grant. The digital pipe organ project has allowed AP Physics students at both Dobie and Memorial to build a fully functional mobile digital pipe organ that is exclusively solar powered. Through grants such as this one, the students have been able to design and build an additional immobile pipe organ as well as study wave phenomena, alternative energy, related wave topics such as tsunamis and electromagnetic radiation, and wave propagation.

“BP has helped provide a means to the realizations of this project,” said Memorial AP Physics instructor and grant coordinator Scott Graham. “We can not adequately express the magnitude of our thanks. It means a great deal to have the support of BP, and the exposure they have given to our vision will help us share it with thousands of students. We can not thank them enough for their interest and participation.”

Dobie’s grant for “Switched-On Optics” will allow students to add a laser and light effect show to the musical shows performed by students on the digital pipe organ.

“By partnering Dobie and Memorial together, we are able to involve many more students in the benefits of BP’s generous award,” said Dobie’s AP Physics instructor Mary Obenauf. “The students come together to share ideas and work side-by-side in every step of the project. It is truly an honor to have been given the opportunity to offer so much more to our students than we have time or money for in the regular curriculum.”

Memorial also received another A+ for Energy grant for its ongoing biodiesel project (also in collaboration with Dobie), allowing students to design and implement the project using recycled vegetable oil. The end product of the project will go toward fueling either one of the school’s buses or a faculty member’s diesel automobile.

“BP strongly encourages student interest in education toward science and engineering because that is where they will acquire their next generation of engineers,” said Memorial AP Physics instructor David White. “They are very involved in supplying the funding necessary to provide students with the opportunity to experience small scale and real world applications that will motivate students to pursue engineering and science degrees in college.”

In addition to their energy education grant, the schools will receive a scholarship to attend an all-expense paid three day Energy Education Training Conference, energy education materials for their classroom, and an A+ for Energy award and banner to display at their school.

“When organizations such as BP work with us to provide our students with a high quality education, it lets our students know their community cares,” said Pasadena ISD Superintendent Kirk Lewis. “And that alone can make a difference in education.”