THE CHEVRON CHALLENGE SET TO RAISE FUNDS FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHARITIES THIS WEEK
March 31, 2022
New title sponsor Chevron is showing their commitment to women’s golf and diversity and inclusion this week with a wide array of philanthropic initiatives on-site and notable charitable donations at The Chevron Championship.
When announcing their initial six-year partnership towards the end of last year, Chevron immediately declared a welcome prize fund increase of over 60% to $5 million for the 2022 Championship and an over-arching goal that through their sponsorship of this historic Championship, they will look to champion women in sports, the workplace and society.
This ambition has come to life through Chevron’s charitable program in place at this week’s Championship, all designed to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion from early education to careers. The showpiece activation, that will feature as part of NBC and Golf Channel coverage, will be The Chevron Challenge on the 14th hole where Chevron will donate $10,000 for every birdie and $1,000,000 for a hole-in-one.
The money raised will be distributed amongst the chosen recipients at the end of the event, and Chevron will showcase a different key initiative on each tournament day to amplify the impactful missions of their charity partners. On Thursday, the featured partners will be NSBE SEEK powered by Techbridge Girls,* Friday and Sunday will focus on the LPGA Foundation and KPMG Foundation,* and Saturday will showcase Catalyst* to advance gender equality. (*See below for more details)
The Chevron Championship will also host a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) camp near the Championship driving range tomorrow for more than 100 students from Cathedral City Elementary. Techbridge Girls and the Fab Foundation will create hands-on educational STEM activities for elementary students to experience and enjoy.
To celebrate the community of Rancho Mirage and to support local teachers, Chevron will also provide a $50,000 donation from DonorsChoose to Brenda Santana, Cathedral City Elementary School principal, for classroom materials and activities.
“We are excited to host local fifth graders from Cathedral City (CA) Elementary School at an interactive STEM program during The Chevron Championship that will show students real-world applications on how STEM impacts our everyday lives,” said Josetta Jones, chief diversity and inclusion officer for Chevron, who will present a $50,000 donation from DonorsChoose to Brenda Santana, Cathedral City Elementary School principal to support classroom materials and activities.
The four tournament day charity themes that Chevron will shine a spotlight on during this week are:
Thursday – NSBE SEEK powered by Techbridge Girls
Techbridge Girls excites, educates, and equips girls from underserved communities to pursue STEM careers. Techbridge Girls has developed and implemented equitable STEM pedagogy that is gender and culturally responsive. Techbridge Girls brings a focus on STEM equity, social-emotional learning practices and cultural and gender responsive curriculum, by providing resources for the educators and the wider ecosystem that surrounds the girls, including their role models, families, and the community.
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) created the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) to inspire Black students with the opportunities and wonder of the STEM field. SEEK is a free, three-week summer program that offers a fun and engaging educational experience for students in grades 3–5. SEEK aims to provide high-quality learning opportunities to underrepresented students who otherwise may not have access to a robust STEM education.
Friday – LPGA Foundation & KPMG Foundation Scholarships
A new Chevron scholarship through the LPGA Foundation will be launched this fall that focuses on providing financial support to girls from underrepresented communities looking to enter a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) career path.
Chevron supports the KPMG Future Leaders Program, a charitable initiative focused on developing future generations of women leaders. Annually, the program awards twenty-two top female high school seniors the opportunity to enhance their personal growth through college scholarships, a leadership development retreat, mentorship, and an introduction to golf.
Saturday – Catalyst
Chevron invests in organizations like Catalyst, which for 60 years has accelerated the progress of women in business and is leading the Great Reimagining of the workplace – one that works for all women.
Chevron also partners with Catalyst to expand the Men Advocating Real Change (MARC) program. The MARC program is focused on engaging and empowering male executives and leaders to consistently model inclusive behaviors, influence more equitable talent management systems and processes, and build effective partnerships across gender.
Sunday – LPGA Foundation
Earlier this week at Mission Hills, Chevron and the LPGA Foundation hosted an inaugural Leadership Forum. Using the forum as a platform, Chevron is looking to create a pipeline into the golf industry through education, introduction and opportunity for middle and high school age women who have discovered their passion for golf and have the desire to pursue a career in the game.