Sally Ride Science and ExxonMobil to Bring Science Festival for Middle School Girls to Louisiana State University

BATON ROUGE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Middle school science teachers should expect a surge of student enthusiasm this fall when the Sally Ride Science Festival makes its way Louisiana State University on September 22^nd, 2012.

“ExxonMobil is proud to offer the Sally Ride Science Festival again this year”

Presented by ExxonMobil, the festival for 5^th to 8^th grade girls features hands-on workshops, guest speakers, and a street fair complete with food, booths and music. This will be the third festival Sally Ride Science has hosted at the Baton Rouge campus, and the renowned science education company is expecting hundreds of girls, teachers and parents to attend.

“ExxonMobil is proud to offer the Sally Ride Science Festival again this year,” said ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Polyolefins Plant Manager Angela Zeringue. “It’s important that we show girls in our local community how exciting a career in math and science can be. There will be many role models for the girls to learn from at the event, and we hope that some will be inspired to pursue careers in STEM fields. This is workforce development, and it is a lot of fun as well!”

Along with a day full of fun activities and socializing, the Sally Ride Science Festival is famous for bringing in courageous, innovative and inspiring female scientists who encourage girls to use their imaginations and pursue their dreams. This year during the keynote address, attendees will hear NASA Astronaut Sandra Magnus share stories about her path to a thrilling career in science, her voyages to space and life on the International Space Station.

"LSU is proud to play a role in the Sally Ride Science Festival for Girls," said LSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell. "The Cain Center for STEM Literacy has done a tremendous job of bringing the joy of science and STEM-based disciplines to students of all ages and backgrounds, and this festival is another example of its success. Young women play an integral role in our country's future -- encouraging aptitude in these areas is an investment in the future of the United States."

The festival is open to the public and will run from 11 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. A $20 advanced registration fee includes the featured talk, workshops, lunch and the street fair. Advance registration is required. For more information, visit www.sallyridescience.com or call 1-800-561-5161.

About ExxonMobil Baton Rouge

Since 1909, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge has grown from a refinery on 225 acres of former cotton fields to one of the largest and most versatile petrochemical hubs in the world with an employee and contractor workforce of 5,500. Local operations include the Baton Rouge Refinery, Chemical Plant, Plastics Plant, Resin Finishing Plant, Polyolefins Plant, Specialty Compounding Center, and Port Allen Lubricants Plant. These facilities produce more than 400 high-quality products that we use every day including gasoline, lubricating oils, waxes, rubber, and adhesives.

About Sally Ride Science

Sally Ride Science™ is an innovative science education company dedicated to supporting student interest in science, math and technology. Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, founded the company with a mission to educate, engage and inspire all students. Since 2001, thousands of educators across the nation have utilized the standards-based classroom materials, professional development and cutting-edge classroom programs that bring science to life.