HOUSTON, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation and the Boston Red Sox are taking science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to the baseball diamond this year. CITGO and the Red Sox have announced that they will host two STEM Days this year for Boston-area students to help their classroom STEM lessons come alive. CITGO will be inviting 500 elementary and middle school students to the STEM Days as part of the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline Program, joining a total of approximately 5,000 students who will take part in these days of fun, interactive STEM learning.

Through this year's "Red Sox STEM Education Days Presented by CITGO," taking place on April 6 and September 14, CITGO and the Red Sox are teaming up to expose students to new ways of learning about STEM. These two STEM Days will each include a pre-game STEM fair on the Fenway Park concourse where students can learn about a variety of STEM concepts. Students will also get to take part in hands-on STEM activities that make use of the special Fenway Park location, including an egg drop off the famous Green Monster. Finally, the students will get to stay for the day's Red Sox baseball game, at which a robot designed by a local student robotics team will throw out the first pitch.

"Together, CITGO and the Boston Red Sox are a great team. The CITGO sign in Kenmore Square has become a symbol of Fenway Park, so it's natural that CITGO and the Red Sox would work together to help give Boston students a fun and educational day," said CITGO Vice President of Government and Public Affairs Rafael Gómez. "These 'Red Sox STEM Education Days Presented by CITGO' will be a great opportunity for Boston students in grades 2 through 9 to get special STEM lessons that will enhance everything they're learning in their classrooms."

CITGO is committed to improving life for people in the Boston area, particularly for children and families. Last summer, CITGO and the Red Sox Foundation, the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, teamed up for a "Spirit Pump" campaign; all CITGO customers that filled up at a CITGO-branded pump had a portion of their fuel purchase donated directly to the Red Sox Foundation, helping to support efforts to strengthen the community.

"CITGO has long been a supporter of our foundation and specifically our education cornerstone program, the Red Sox Scholars, which provides scholarships and mentoring for academically talented middle school students from the Boston Public Schools," said Red Sox Foundation Executive Director Gena Borson. "We thank them for their commitment to helping families throughout New England and look forward to working with them on new and creative ways to bring classroom lessons to life during the upcoming baseball season."  

The "Red Sox STEM Education Days Presented by CITGO" are an example of how CITGO is working to expand STEM education and career opportunities for students across the country. Last year, CITGO announced the launch of its STEM Talent Pipeline initiative to give students at all levels the technical skills they need to pursue STEM jobs. Through this program, CITGO grants and mentoring efforts throughout CITGO operational areas and beyond are helping to create the next generation of STEM professionals, ready to take on careers in a variety of STEM fields. For more information on the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline Program, visit http://www.citgo.com/SocialResponsibility/Education/STEM.jsp.

For questions about the "Red Sox STEM Education Days Presented by CITGO," or to book your school group, please contact Matt Labossiere at mlabossiere@redsox.com or (617) 226-6834.

About CITGO
CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit http://www.CITGO.com.

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation