The Bakersfield College team celebrates at the Chevron press conference. From left are Michael Stepanovich, Liz Rozell, Carla Musser from Chevron, me :), and John Means.

This week, Bakersfield College participated in a press event at Chevron to announce more than $350,000 in giving from Chevron to Bakersfield College, Taft College, and California State University, Bakersfield. Bakersfield College will receive $125,000 from Chevron for several programs and initiatives.

With the gift from Chevron, Bakersfield College will modernize engineering labs with retired, but still relevant, equipment from the petroleum and engineering fields. Learning on current equipment is key for students, and will help Bakersfield College provide training and skills-building curriculum.

An ongoing project between Bakersfield College and Chevron, called Project Lead the Way, will be expanded to include an electronics course for participants. Project Lead the Way is a summer “bridge” program for high school students heading to Bakersfield College. The addition of the electronics course will prepare students for the rigorous coursework in college.

Finally, the gift from Chevron will support the development of job skills certificates which prepare students, on a faster timeline, for occupational readiness. The courses in the certificate will be challenging and industry relevant, and provide graduates with a wide range of career options.

Partnerships, like this one with Chevron, are very important to Bakersfield College’s ability to provide relevant, current education in fields of study. Through Chevron’s generous gift, Bakersfield College is able to provide the necessary skills and training for students seeking careers in the petroleum industry.

Thank you Chevron! We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership!

~S.C.

Tagged: Bakersfield College, BC, Chevron, Foundation