RESERVE – East St. John Elementary School’s Partner in Education, Marathon, provided an excellent hands-on opportunity to the school’s students. Marathon employees volunteered their time to provide a Science Expo for the third-graders at the school. This science day took the learning out of the classroom to under their breezeway.

The school’s third-graders rotated to several different stations, which were coordinated and run by Marathon employees. The various stations included creating Alka-Seltzer rockets, using polymers to absorb liquids, building electric motors using a battery, performing exothermic and endothermic experiments, making glow-in-the-dark slime and examining fossils.

Jerry “Texx” Galloway, ESJE principal, feels the significance

of having Marathon share these experiments with his students is tremendous. According to Galloway, the benefits are three-fold. “First

of all, we’re building community relationships. Marathon employees have made a commitment to the students of ESJE and this experience allows them time to get to know

our kids on a one to one basis. The value of these personal relationships cannot be measured,” said Galloway.

He also feels that the expo allows the students to relate their classroom experiences to “Real World” events. This allows them to make plans for the future and to see how they can one day fit in and become an integral, contributing member of our society.  

Lastly, the students benefit from the resources that Marathon brings to the school, not only during the Science Expo Day, but in their donation of school supplies, and other financial support that is beneficial to the school.  

“It has been a privilege for Marathon to be able to provide this type of educational experience for the students at East St. John Elementary over the last 10 years. The excitement and enthusiasm the students have for science is wonderful and we are thankful to be a part of their learning experience.” said Barb Weber, senior human resources consultant for Marathon.

The Marathon employees intend to provide a similar Science Expo Day to ESJE’s third-graders during the spring semester.