If children aren't engaged in math and science today, this country won't be competitive in the future, said Truman Bell of ExxonMobil.

The oil company formed a partnership with Masters Tournament champion Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, to form an annual teachers academy, and since 2005 the academy has provided free math and science training to elementary schoolteachers.

Five Richmond County educators, including Sharon Wells, an instructional coach at Windsor Spring Elementary School, will participate in the Mickelson/ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in New Orleans next month.

"I plan to gain a lot of knowledge on how I can bring math and science together," Ms. Wells said.

She said it's interesting how Mr. Mickelson uses math and science in his golf game.

Mr. Truman, ExxonMobil's senior program officer, said Mr. Mickelson has demonstrated this during previous sessions of the academy. At one session, the golfer illustrated the effectiveness of using math and science to approach the game of golf with former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

When elementary schoolteachers graduate from college, they tend to be generalists, lacking a specialization in math and science, Mr. Truman said, but it's in elementary school that children develop an interest in these fields. That's why the academy focuses on these grades.

He said the world is changing such that those who don't know math and science will soon become like those who can't read and write.

"Math and science is involved in everything we do," Mr. Truman said.

ExxonMobil employs 14,000 engineers and scientists, he added.

Other Richmond County educators participating in the academy are coordinator of science Stacey Mabray, Mary Howard of Hains Elementary, Ebony Lindsey of Southside Elementary and Deb Wilcox of A. Brian Merry Elementary.

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.