Local Program Highlights
In 2022, we invested approximately $20.7 million in social programs with a primary focus on education, healthcare and the environment. The following are selected highlights.
Improving Quality and Access to Health Care in Guyana
Access to affordable and high quality health care is central to the government of Guyana’s vision for long term, shared prosperity for the Guyanese people.
In 2022, Hess and the government of Guyana launched a national health care initiative in collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System that is dedicated to providing every Guyanese citizen with access to affordable and high quality health care. The national health care initiative is a multiyear effort funded jointly by Hess and the government of Guyana, to which we expect to contribute $32 million over the next three years.
Since the announcement, more than 40 leading health care experts from Mount Sinai arrived in Guyana and are helping develop high quality primary care as well as specialized services in cardiology and oncology. Their work should lead to significant improvements at Georgetown Public Hospital, the country’s largest hospital, and to a modern system of health care records and financing options. Mount Sinai’s experts are also creating a plan to help mitigate hypertension and diabetes; both are common conditions among the Guyanese population.
Building Economic Opportunities With North Dakota’s Tribal Colleges
In September 2022, Hess announced a new apprenticeship program developed in partnership with the North Dakota Tribal College System to improve education and employment opportunities for Native Americans across the state.
Over the next four years, Hess will invest $12 million to provide funding for tuition assistance, stipends, child care and other support for apprenticeships at North Dakota’s five tribal colleges based on the local job market and needs of their communities. The program, which officially launched in January 2023, aims to create 80 apprenticeships by the end of 2026.
Programs will focus on building higher paying job skills, such as in plumbing, heating and air conditioning, heavy equipment, the building trades, auto technology, information technology and nursing. Students will be offered on-the-job training through work study programs, internships and apprenticeships as they progress toward earning technical certification or completing an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Educational Programs and Services in Houston
In Houston, Hess completed the second year of a three year, $9 million financial commitment as part of our Learning for Life Partnership. Learning for Life benefits 22 schools and more than 13,000 children from prekindergarten through high school in three underserved Houston neighborhoods.
Flood and Hurricane Protection Efforts in Louisiana
Hess joined the Morganza Action Coalition (MAC) as part of our sustainability efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. MAC supports the efforts of the Terrebonne, North Lafourche and South Lafourche Levee Districts to build and maintain local levees and floodgates designed to provide 100 year, Category 3 storm surge protection, which will benefit more than 150,000 people living in coastal parishes as well as over 1,700 square miles of fresh and saltwater marsh.
STEM Teaching Tools in North Dakota
For the fifth consecutive year, Hess partnered with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to provide Hess Toy Truck STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) kits to every elementary school in the state along with a related curriculum designed by the Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Educational Outreach. The program has reached students in more than 275 schools in North Dakota, and we have donated nearly 33,000 toy trucks valued at approximately $1.3 million since 2018.
Flood Relief in Malaysia
In response to severe flooding that displaced more than 11,000 people in Kelantan, Malaysia, Hess volunteers from the logistics team provided aid to impacted communities by transporting boxes of food essentials, including rice, flour and cooking oil, to Rantau Panjang in Pasir Mas and Kampung Chuchuh Puteri. Hess volunteers also handed out school supplies to children from impacted communities following the reopening of schools.
Capacity Building in Guyana
Hess and our two Stabroek Block coventure partners continued to fund the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) through our 10 year, $100 million commitment to support capacity building with a focus on education and training, sustainable economic development and health. One initiative that GGI supports is the Centre for Local Business Development, which in 2021 launched the Accelerate Her Program, which provides business mentorship for women; the Community Business Talks Program, which facilitates meaningful dialogue on topics of importance to local business community; and the Project Management Mentorship Program, which offers guidance to local businesspeople.
Scholarships and Educational Programming Through the Jackie Robinson Foundation
As part of Hess’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, we announced a $1.4 million grant to the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF), which included support for the new Jackie Robinson Museum. Opened in 2022, the museum is a venue for innovative educational programming and dialogue on critical social issues. The grant is also being used to provide four-year scholarships and support services for five underrepresented college students. In 2022, Hess also provided internship opportunities for three JRF Scholars.
Texas Water Action Collaborative Expansion
In 2022, Hess contributed $50,000 to Texan by Nature to support the Texas Water Action Collaborative (TxWAC), which coordinates funding for projects that positively benefit Texas’ water resources. As a result of our donation, TxWAC was able to expand an existing program in the Upper Trinity River Basin to the Lower Trinity River Basin. This program focuses on projects that benefit water volume, water quality, air quality and biodiversity in the watershed.
Scholarships and Grants for Students in North Dakota
For the second consecutive year, Hess awarded $40,000 in scholarships through the North Dakota State Fair (NDSF) Foundation to members of 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA). The scholarships were awarded to high school students who plan to seek further education to prepare for careers related to supporting the oil and gas industry such as nursing, accounting and agribusiness. Hess also awarded $500 grants through the NDSF Foundation to nine 4-H clubs and FFA chapters in the state for community service projects.
Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Malaysia
Hess supported an initiative by the Royal Thai Embassy, in collaboration with Persatuan Lestari Alam Malaysia and Universiti Malaya, to educate residents in Kuala Lumpur on the importance of sustainable agriculture practices. The initiative included tree planting and a farming workshop, in addition to painting a mural of the 17 U.N. SDGs.