ExxonMobil's 25 Years of Planting Seeds of Confidence; Program Encourages Dallas-Area Students on ''Green Team'' to Stay in School after Summer of Making a Difference in the Community.

DALLAS -- For the past 25 years, special groups of low to moderate-income high school students have spent their summer vacations beautifying Dallas parks, building houses and taking classes taught by community college instructors.

The young people are members of the ExxonMobil Green Team, a program founded in 1981 to provide local youth with paid summer jobs and educational opportunities. The program is sponsored by ExxonMobil, managed by the City of Dallas and supported by a host of other community and private organizations.

"We hope that each time members of the Green Team pass a park or house that was part of the program, they'll feel the sense of accomplishment and belonging to a community that can make such an impact on a teenager's life," said Truman Bell, education program officer, ExxonMobil Foundation. "The best thing that could happen would be for the kids to say to themselves, 'I planted that tree' or 'That is the house I helped build.'"

Officials with Builders of Hope CDC gathered with ExxonMobil and City of Dallas administrators on June 13 to kick off the 2006 Green Team program at 5206 and 5210 Chippewa Drive in West Dallas -- the construction sites in the Eagle Ford neighborhood where students will build two homes this summer. Greg Ellis of the Dallas Cowboys attended the ceremony for the second year in a row.

Summer "School" on the Green Team

Each summer, two groups of students participate in the Green Team program: the parks group and the construction group.

--This year, 76 students will work with the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department to help maintain several different parks and athletic fields.

--In addition, 24 students will work with the City of Dallas Housing Department and Builders of Hope CDC to build two affordable homes in the Eagle Ford neighborhood in West Dallas that will be sold to qualified applicants.

--As the educational component of the summer program, parks group students will take daily classes in math, reading, writing and computer literacy at the ExxonMobil Academy at El Centro College. Meanwhile, students in the construction group will receive on-site construction training and supervision by North Lake College's construction technology instructors. Both groups of students will meet up each Friday for enrichment programs and field trips.

"The classes with college instructors are built into this program as a motivator for the students and a vital part of the Green Team Program," said Bell. "We want to do anything we can to encourage them to stay in high school and pursue an education afterwards. It goes back to accomplishment: by hopefully getting a good feel of what college is like, the students will feel more confident about moving forward and excelling academically."

About ExxonMobil Foundation and the Green Team

Managed by the City of Dallas Housing Department, the 2006 ExxonMobil Green Team program has many community partners, including: the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department; Dallas County Community College District - El Centro College and North Lake College; Builders of Hope CDC; Inwood National Bank; JP Morgan Chase and Acme Brick.

The ExxonMobil Green Team is a signature community program funded by ExxonMobil Foundation. ExxonMobil is providing a grant of $265,000 to the City of Dallas to fund the Green Team summer program this year. Since its launch in 1981, ExxonMobil has invested more than $5.7 million in the Dallas program. Upon completion of the 2006 program, the ExxonMobil Green Team will have reached more than 3,100 students, constructed 27 homes and completed numerous park improvements.

The Dallas program has become a model for ExxonMobil Green Team programs in cities across the country where ExxonMobil has operations, including Beaumont, Texas; Torrance, Ca.; Clinton and Paulsboro, NJ; Chalmette, La.; and Arlington, Va.

ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The Foundation and the Corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels. Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2005, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $133 million in contributions worldwide, with $42 million dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contributions programs is available at http:www.exxonmobil.com/community.