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Marathon Oil Selects 14 Innovative Educators as Winners in First Year of Grant Program

December, 2021

As part of our investment in building stronger communities through education, we launched the “Unconventional Thinking in Teaching” program in April of 2021. After receiving more than 140 applications from across the county in the program’s first year, we traveled throughout our operating areas during the month of October to surprise 14 outstanding educators with a $2,500 grant.

At Marathon Oil, unconventional thinking means constantly looking for new ways to solve problems and deliver results. Through this grant program, Marathon Oil supports teachers who are bringing this same unconventional thinking to the classroom. Our hope is to increase teacher retention by demonstrating support for the people who are responsible for developing our next generation of leaders, or unconventional thinkers.

We want to make sure we’re not only reaching students, but also the teachers who are on the frontline of impacting and developing the next generation of unconventional thinkers. We want to show our support for those dedicated educators who have a passion for teaching and are committed to the students in the communities where we live and work.

— Lee Tillman, Marathon Oil Chairman, President and CEO

Teachers in Marathon Oil’s operating states could participate by applying or being nominated by members of their community. These 140 entries were judged blindly by a panel of Marathon Oil employees. Entries were judged based on the applicant’s or nominee’s demonstration of unconventional thinking, alignment with Marathon Oil’s values – to collaborate, take ownership, be bold, and deliver results – and commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all students.

There were five winners selected from Oklahoma, five from Texas, two from New Mexico, and two from North Dakota. Each winner received a $2,500 grant from Marathon Oil to support the purchase of classroom resources, such as books, activity and lab materials, technology, or personal professional development, allowing them to not only impact their current students, but all students who they will teach in their classrooms throughout their careers.

Our first year winners are the perfect testament to why we created this impactful program. Their innovative ideas are truly changing lives by improving education for all students – from those learning to read all the way to those preparing to enter college. We hope that, through these grants, these outstanding educators are able to make an even greater impact, both in their classrooms and in their communities, in the years to come.

— Lee Tillman, Marathon Oil Chairman, President and CEO

Dive deeper to learn more about each of our winners and their innovative ideas.