Energizing Teachers at the Summer STEM Energy Institute
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Energizing Teachers at the Summer STEM Energy Institute
Midland Rocks!
July 11-13, twenty teachers from all parts of Texas participated in the first annual Summer STEM Energy Institute in Midland, Texas.
Teachers were welcomed with an amazing assortment of swag donated by oil and gas businesses from across Texas.
Every day, they received more gifts. They were really impressed by the support from Midland area businesses and the community.
Our first visit on Tuesday was a rig site hosted by Discovery Operating. Teachers made three stops learning about the process of how oil and gas are retrieved from the ground. They asked great questions and wanted to touch EVERYTHING!
By the end of the tour, they were asking for jobs!
In the afternoon, we went to Midland College and learned about the dual credit program offered to local students and the Workforce Solutions of the Permian Basin gave the teachers information on job projections for Texas.
Wednesday was spent at the Petroleum Museum. Teachers toured the museum and made some amazing activities for the Petroleum Museum to use for their student tours.
We also made models of fracking from the Life:Powered Foundations of Energy curriculum.
In the afternoon, SBOE Member, Aaron Kinsey helped give the teachers insight to the process used to write TEKS and select instructional materials.
Then Shad Frazier, from Endeavor Energy gave a presentation on the cost benefit analysis of energy. This was a great conversation about different types of energy, energy density, AND what happened during Winter Storm Uri.
Wednesday night, we ate together at Luigi’s and talked about everything we had seen and learned.
On Thursday morning, we went to the Delek Refinery in Big Spring and got a chemistry lesson and a tour.
In the afternoon, we returned to Midland College for a lesson on the history of the Permian Basin and teachers spent time critiquing energy lesson plans they had reviewed over the three days.
They are already asking what they can come back and learn next summer!
Just to wrap it up, here are a few things the teachers had to say about their experience:
I have always known about the industry due to my mother working for an oil company. I never really experienced anything firsthand and can now relate much better to all the stories I heard about the industry.- Paul
I really enjoyed learning about how the oil and gas industry is necessary for this region. I was really impressed with how much they were willing to invest so much into educators.- Kayla
 I feel so much more equipped to help inspire students to BE the change we need in the future. The energy industry is never going to stop growing, and it needs smart, hard working people from top to bottom. - Brittany
No longer can I say that I am disconnected to the knowledge of our Texas Energy Resources and the grid.- Jessica
After doing so many different professional developments over the years, this is the first one that I have been to that you actually get to go into the field to get real world experience.- Megan