Equinor is a proud supporter of youth talent development in Newfoundland and Labrador through sponsorships in arts and culture, sports and STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics) helping them to become the Heroes of Tomorrow. Some of our sponsorship and community investments include:
ArtsSmarts
Facilitated by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC), the ArtsSmarts program inspires children to develop their creative abilities by increasing arts and cultural activities in classroom curricula. In 2014, Equinor joined ArtsSmarts to bring professional artists into the classroom to teach and encourage an appreciation of arts and culture. As part of our commitment to talent development, we also established the Equinor ArtsSmarts scholarship, awarded to a Newfoundland and Labrador high school student enrolled for first year full-time art studies in a degree or diploma program at a Canadian university or college.
Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival
Since 2013, Equinor has been the presenting sponsor of the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival. This three-day, annual festival boasts a line-up of Canadian and local artists, as well as activities for families, including folk-inspired instrument and youth music workshops aimed at keeping the tradition of folk music alive in Newfoundland and Labrador. As part of the festival, Equinor also sponsors an interactive youth workshop in collaboration with the headlining children’s entertainer, in addition to the Equinor MusicNL NewFound Talent Contest for musicians 19 and under, where aspiring artists have the opportunity to jump-start their musical career.
Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE)
MATE’s underwater robotics competition uses underwater robots or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to prepare students for technical careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Since 2012, Equinor has been a sponsor of the regional competition in St. John's, NL that challenges high school students to build ROVs to tackle missions modelled after scenarios from the ocean workplace and that are critical to oil and gas development. MATE’s international student underwater robotics competition has a network of 36 regional contests that take place across the United States, China, Hong Kong, Scotland, Canada, Egypt, Russia, Turkey and Bermuda. There are categories for all ages to participate, from upper elementary to university and community organizations.
Techsploration
Techsploration is a career exploration program facilitated by Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) that provides grade nine girls the opportunity to explore occupations in science, trades, engineering and technology, while raising awareness about the importance of math and science-based work in their future lives. Every year, Equinor welcomes a group of young girls from a local high school into our St. John’s office to learn from female Equinor employees working in STEM. Later in the year, the students and their Equinor role models attend a two-day forum with other students and industry role models to participate in workshops, tours, and activities related to STEM to strengthen their skills in communication, leadership, and teamwork.