ConocoPhillips – Commitment Towards Education in Malaysia
ConocoPhillips prides itself on being a responsible ‘corporate citizen’, and we strive to make a positive impact across our operations and in the communities in which we operate. We recognize that the most effective corporate philanthropy can be achieved by entering into strategic partnerships with organizations that serve the community, and programs which have lasting social impact.
For this reason, ConocoPhillips has chosen to support the Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETA) Program in Sabah and made it our CSR signature program in Malaysia, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia and the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE). The ETA program provides opportunities for American college graduates to become English Language Teaching Assistants to teachers in secondary schools throughout the world. It aims to make a difference in children’s education by transforming their approach to learning and teachers’ approach to teaching.
The ETA program is strongly aligned with ConocoPhillips’ CSR commitment towards education. It focuses on invigorating student learning through skills development and mastering the English language through activities. The ETAs who are based in remote and underserved schools of Sabah, bring international knowledge and new perspectives to their schools.
In 2013, ConocoPhillips Malaysia began our partnership with MyKasih through the ‘Love My School’ student bursary program to support school-going children from underprivileged homes and low-income households. The ‘Love My School’ bursary scheme aims to alleviate the burden that disadvantaged families face in providing education for their children. The assistance comes in the form of cashless bursaries which can only be used for the purchase of schoolbooks and stationery from the school bookstore, as well as food and drinks from the school canteen.
Every year, around 330 underprivileged students from six primary schools in Sabah and Sarawak are provided this assistance via a contactless MyKasih student smartcard. We hope that more affordable schooling will stimulate academic success, enabling students to seize better opportunities in the future and break away from the cycle of poverty.
In addition to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) and MyKasih ‘Love My School” program, ConocoPhillips has been awarding scholarships to Geology students from University Malaya (UM) and Petroleum Engineering students from University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) since 2006. The objective of the ConocoPhillips Scholarship Award is to encourage the growth of our future leaders through providing access and opportunities for high quality tertiary learning and education.
Another initiative ConocoPhillips has been a part of since 2009, is a program collaborating with the Sabah Society for the Deaf. This program supports hearing impaired children before entering their primary school when government programs are more readily available. The Sabah Society for the Deaf is a non-government charitable organization (NGO) which aims to promote the education, employment, and general welfare of deaf persons in Sabah. With ConocoPhillips’ support to the Society, a library for the children was successfully developed and additional resources were made available for the children.
At ConocoPhillips Malaysia, we truly believe that an educated society is a stable, productive society. In today’s dynamic world, a well-rounded education reduces the risk of a life of poverty and opens the door to a promise of a better life for our future generation.
