Hibernia's $5M donation aimed at new science teachers

The company that manages the Hibernia oil field has made a historic donation to Memorial University for two new programs, including one that will put more science teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador schools.

Hibernia Management and Development Corp. presented a cheque for $5,063,500 to the university Monday to pay for a new bachelor of education program that will recruit students who already have undergraduate degrees.

Those teachers will deliver programs involving science, technology, engineering and math for students between Kindergarten and Grade 6.

The donation will also pay for a professional development program for K-6 teachers who are already in the system.

"It's important to the long-term growth in the province," Paul Phelan, Hibernia's chief financial officer, told CBC News after a ceremony at the university.

Hibernia made the donation — the largest a single donor has ever made to the Faculty of Education — for several reasons, Phelan said, including a desire to develop the talent pool for the petroleum industry.

"From a morale perspective, from a good corporate citizen perspective, this is a big plus," he said.

"We're actually quite pleased with the students that are coming out now … Our sector in particular focuses on science, technology, engineering and math, so by getting to the students early in their academic careers, we feel that it'll create more of a resource base."

David Wardlaw, Memorial's vice-president (academic), said the donation will change how science is taught to children in the province. 

"Because of their generosity, Memorial's Faculty of Education will lead the way nationally and will provide a model" for other institutions, he said.