This month we'd like to recognize Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and Heart House for their involvement with the ExxonMobil Green Team.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and Heart House were two of the eight nonprofit agencies selected to host ExxonMobil Green Teams this summer. While with Boys & Girls Clubs and Heart House, the ExxonMobil Green Team worked to educate and excite young students about the environment. Green Teams at Heart House and Boys & Girls Clubs participated in the following activities:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas (BGCD): Working with middle school students ages 11-13, the Green Team taught ocean life and ecology to students through curriculum provided by the Immersion Project environmental program. The Green Team students learned the importance of mentoring and going green throughout the summer teaching program.
• Heart House Dallas: The Green Team at Heart House planned and implemented “Camp Green House,” a special two-week camp for grades 4 through 7 that promoted environmental education via engaging, interactive lessons. The students participated in a variety of demonstrations, experiments and hands-on activities.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas is to “enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” With 14 Clubs located throughout Dallas County, boys and girls ages six through 18 are exposed to daily interactions after school and during the summer in structured, supervised activities in the areas of:

• Education & Career Development
• The Arts
• Health & Life Skills
• Character & Leadership Development
• Sports, Fitness & Recreation

About Heart House Dallas

Heart House Dallas is a free afterschool program dedicated to providing a safe haven and academic support to children of low-income families in the densely-populated Vickery Meadow community in Dallas, Texas.

Heart House offers the following to its children:

• Trained instructors and mentors
• Safe places with structured activities during non-school hours
• Information and access to community services
• Training in marketable skills/competencies acquired through education and youth development
• Community service activities and civic participation
  

Green Team Background

The ExxonMobil Green Team provides a meaningful work experience for high school students from low- to moderate-income households. Students are placed with selected area nonprofits, where they work in teams on environmental and conservation projects. Students attend classes at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and on Fridays the Green Team participates in educational field trips and activities with an environmental focus. Students are paid for all time spent in the program.

ExxonMobil provided a grant of more than $189,000 to the Volunteer Center of North Texas to support the 2008 ExxonMobil Green Team. Since its launch in 1981, ExxonMobil has invested $6.1 million in the Dallas program, reaching 3,350 students and impacting the community through work with various local nonprofits and numerous park and neighborhood improvements.

Click here for more information on the ExxonMobil Green Team.

Testimonials

"This summer I've learned to not say 'no' and to do the job even if I don't feel like it. I've also learned to interact with a diverse group of people and I've come out of my shy stage just a tad bit, because when I'm asked to get up in front of everyone and speak I don't get nervous anymore."

Antreal Brown
Graduate, A. Maceo Smith High School
Texas Discovery Gardens

"I have always been introverted. I have always been shy and I have a tendency to keep to myself. This summer, this Green Team experience has taught me that I am capable of socializing with complete strangers. I have learned to push myself past my comfort zones and talk to people that I have never conversed with before. This summer has given me a chance to open up and make new friends."

Hannah Cook
Graduate, Bishop Dunne High School
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas

"Working for the City of Dallas/UNT has been an amazing experience. My favorite thing from this summer has been attending all the field trips. We toured the Dallas Water Treatment Plant and the waste water treatment plant. It was so eye opening to see how much work goes into cleaning the water. It is something that we take for granted but that I can no longer look at the same way."

Kristine Gonzales
Graduate, School for Gifted and Talented - Townview Magnet
City of Dallas Water Conservation Division/University of North Texas

"This summer, while working at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, I learned that working in an environment with different age groups can be quite a challenge. I learned to be patient. Patience along with teamwork went a long way. My coworkers and I were in charge of teaching a science class to kids between the ages of 6 and 12. We weren't able to get their attention at first, but as the days went by, we progressed and succeeded in interacting with the kids creating a bond. It's definitely going to be tough to say goodbye to the kids."

Jessica Revilla
Graduate, Health Professions Magnet - Townview
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas

�My favorite moment has been the Wednesdays and Fridays. I like interacting with the rest of the Green Team. I like the team building and leadership activities we do at the Volunteer Center. The different classes have taught many different skills that I will be able to use after this program.�

Kordell Tezeno
Graduate, Duncanville High School
City of Dallas Water Conservation Division/University of North Texas

The ExxonMobil Green Team is proud to partner with the Volunteer Center of North Texas and Southern Methodist University.

The Volunteer Center of North Texas (VCNT), founded in 1971, is one of the largest and most active volunteer centers in the country. A primary purpose of VCNT is to recruit volunteers, including individuals, corporations and civic and faith-based groups, to serve nonprofits and their clients throughout the North Texas area. For more information, visit www.vcnt.org

A private university of 11,000 students near the center of Dallas, SMU offers strong undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through seven schools - in the humanities and sciences; business; the performing, visual, and communication arts; engineering; education and human development; law; and theology.