June 25, 2007

Marine Terminals Corp. recently presented a check for $25,000 to the International Trade Education Programs (ITEP) during a gathering of students representing the four ITEP academies, faculty and Banning High School.

In attendance to receive the check were ITEP Founder and Executive Director Carol Rowen, Banning High School Principal Michael Summe, ITEP Global Safety and Security (GSS) Academy lead teacher Jim Gregson, and seven Banning High School students representing the four academies supported by the ITEP: Ashley Thacker, Elizabeth Soto, Matthew Abrego, Miguel Guerra, Gabriella Agredano, and Cecilia Paredes.

When presenting the check, MTC Vice President - Contracts and Sales Pat Bixby spoke about the company’s ongoing support.

"Marine Terminals Corp. is pleased to continue its support of ITEP’s business-related academies and freestanding programs that educate students about careers in international trade and the maritime community,” Bixby said. “We look forward to these programs being offered to more students throughout the greater community."

To further this goal, MTC’s donation will be used to support the expansion of ITEP’s programs and academies to students at public and private high schools located in the footprint of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to help students meet business professionals, legislators, Coast Guard officers, DHS officials and maritime industry leaders from the ports. Eight hundred students at Banning High School are now focusing their education around the local maritime industries and have even named their part of the campus "The Port of Banning."

The current four ITEP academies are ITA -International Trade Academy, GSS – Global Safety and Security Academy; GES – Global Environmental Sciences and MATCH, which stands for Maritime Agriculture, Cuisine, Hospitality and Tourism.

The students attending the presentation thanked MTC for its financial support and shared how the academies have given them a sense of family and foundation to continue to pursue their educational and career goals.

Ashley Thacker and Elizabeth Soto are seniors in the International Trade Academy. ITA seniors visit Washington, D.C., each October to learn about legislation involving international trade.

Matthew Abrego and Cecilia Paredes are tenth graders in the Global Safety and Security Academy. Both will spend one week in August at Cal Maritime earning the STCW certificate and experiencing college life at an outstanding California State University.

Gabriella Agredano is in the Global Environmental Science Academy and studied ecology at the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program at Howland's Landing last April. Miguel Guerra will be traveling to U. C. Davis in August, for a weeklong seminar with a group of 40 students from the ITEP Maritime, Agriculture, Tourism, Cuisine, and Hospitality Academy.

Marine Terminals Corp. is a leading contract stevedore and terminal operating company. Headquartered in San Francisco, MTC has served the U.S. shipping community since 1931. Combined, MTC has stevedoring and terminal operations in more than 26 West Coast locations, six East Coast ports and one Gulf Coast port. The company handles more than seven million TEU containers annually in addition to the full variety of general breakbulk cargo and dry bulk commodities. MTC’s diversified services to the transportation industry are enhanced and expanded through joint ventures with major ocean carriers and its many affiliates that specialize in insurance, logistics, equipment and software development. For additional information, visit http://www.mtcorp.com.

The International Trade Education Programs is dedicated to preparing students in high school and post high school educational institutions for maritime international trade careers, specifically targeting economically disadvantaged areas. ITEP believes that through the establishment of international trade academies it can help meet the needs of an expanding business sector while providing exceptional opportunity to economically underserved students. ITEP, a project of Community Partners, is a 501(c) (3) organization. It provides a range of services to assist other individuals, organizations and institutions in effectively addressing the complex social, economic and policy issues facing the Southern California region.