Energy4me in Kazakhstan!

Author: jhook; Published: May 16, 2013; Category: Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy Education, Uncategorized; Tags: Classroom Instruction, Education, Speaker, STEM; Comments: Comments Off

When her 8-year-old son asked, “how do you make gasoline?” Aizhana, a reservoir engineer, decided it was time to get involved in energy education. Aizhana and her colleagues recently visited her son’s 3rd grade class in Astana, Kazakhstan to talk all about energy! Using some of the Energy4me presentation materials and their own demo activities, she explains, “we were trying to show them how oil is being produced. We got decorative beads, poured some coffee (oil) into the porous space. Then drilled a well with a straw and started pumping oil out of the ground.”

Here’s a small article she wrote for a local newsletter on her experience -

How would you answer these questions: “Have you ever found diamonds when drilled a well?” or “When you bring a lot of oil to the platform, how do you keep it stable?” Now, if I tell you that those are the questions asked by 8-9 years old kids, would you change or paraphrase your answer? You probably would. This is exactly what me and my colleague, Ilyas, faced when we went to my son’s class to teach a lesson on energy to 3^rd graders.

The idea to go to school and teach the kids on energy came to me at the gas station. We went to fill up the tank and my son asked: “Why are you buying gasoline?  Aren’t you making it?” I started explaining what I do and how gasoline is being made, but later I thought: “What if I go to school and educate the whole class, not only my son?” I remembered, that Society of Petroleum Engineers has a program called “Energy4me.” I contacted them and came up to the slides for the talk. My colleagues got excited about this idea as well and we decided to “test” it on my son’s class and later develop a program under SPE umbrella.

So, on April 18 me, Ilyas, and one other colleague Irina went to school ready to give a presentation and demonstrate the experiment on oil production. We dressed up in coveralls, hard hat and safety glasses to create a field environment. Kids were asking all kinds of questions and stayed engaged all the time. When preparing for the lesson we were thinking about the experiment: what and how to show? One little detail that was bothering me was what we were going to use as oil. We had a lot of ideas; we wanted it to be more or less realistic in color but at the same time relatively safe. At the end of the day we picked coffee. What do you think happened when the kids came closer to look/perform the experiment? That was really funny, when they said surprisingly: “It smells like coffee!”  There were a number of interesting moments during the class. We had a very good time!

You know what was the most rewarding thing for me? That night my son came to me and said: “You are the smartest mom in the World!” I almost cried. 

Aizhana and her colleagues already have another presentation lined up, and plan to expand their outreach into Russian language and other Kazakh schools next year. Thanks for sharing Aizhana! If you would also like to share your classroom presentation experiences with Energy4me, contact us!

Teachers: Want more information about how you can request a classroom presentation? Visit our classroom resources page here!

Volunteers: Interesting in presenting to a classroom? Visit here for more information!

 

 

“WISH” Project Seeking Students with Interest in STEM Careers!

Author: Anthony Darby; Published: Dec 13, 2012; Category: Education outreach, Energy Education, Engineering Careers; Tags: energy education, STEM, students, Teachers; Comments: Comments Off

Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars (WISH), has a phenomenal opportunity for girls in their junior year of high school who have an interest in pursuing a career related to STEM.

Know someone?

The opportunity includes participation in an online learning community of female scholars. As members of the online learning community, girls participate in activities and challenges and have opportunities to interact with NASA engineers and researchers, as well as their like–minded peers!

 The WISH project culminates with an expenses paid residential experience at NASA Johnson Space Center in the summer of 2013! Wow!

WISH is accepting online applications until 3 January 2013. Follow the link to apply and for applicant requirements:  http://www.wish.aerospacescholars.org/apply .

Join the conversation on Facebook— www.Facebook.com/Energy4me. You can also connect with us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Energy4me!

DYCE Academy Pupils Crowned Energy Apprentice Winners at SPE Aberdeen Conference

Author: Rene Flores; Published: Nov 29, 2012; Category: Education outreach, Energy Education, Engineering Careers; Tags: energy education, students, Teachers; Comments: Comments Off

Guest Blog by Rene Flores, Energy Education Specialist

One of the great things about my role with Energy4me is the opportunity to share stories with you about student and teacher energy education workshops and competitions from SPE sections all around the world. This story comes all the way from Aberdeen, Scotland, where students from Dyce Academy were crowned winners of the Intervention and Coil Tubing Association (ICoTA) and SPE Energy Apprentice competition recently. A big congrats to them!

What interests me most are the international efforts of individuals and companies that devote their time and energy (pun intended!) to inspire the younger generation through these types of competitions. The competition is designed to improve awareness of career opportunities within the industry and search for the creative thinkers of tomorrow. How you ask? The challenge to student teams was to come up with an idea that carries the industry into the next century, by improving the extraction of North Sea Oil (a topic the city is widely known for.)

Now, I have to extend kudos to the other three school finalists before going any further, they are Cults, Kemnay, and Westhill Academies. Kemnay Academy was runner-up and Highly Commended by the judging panel for their downhole remotely operated vehicle (ROV) idea that improves access to oil reservoirs. Keep in mind the four schools mentioned were selected finalists teams and range from 14 to 18 in age.
The winning idea, Catalyst in Well Regeneration Project, in theory could allow oil companies to extract significantly more oil from existing wells and was praised for originality and practicality. After a short demonstration of lab experiments and presentation results the Dyce Academy team claimed between 75-95% of reserves could be extracted.

All students who took part were presented with a pen and certificate to mark their achievements and given access to the SPE ICoTA European Well Intervention Conference exhibit floor to mingle with leading figures in the industry. The winning school was awarded iPads and a small stipend to spend on school equipment.

ICoTA chairman, Callum Munro, added that he hoped the award would encourage young people to pursue a career within the industry saying, “What we hoped and what I believe we have achieved with The Energy Apprentice is to highlight the opportunities within the energy sector to young people. We are in the midst of a big skills shortage in the industry, so if we can get young people interested and engaged now it will ensure that the future is secure.”

As a former classroom teacher, I have always enjoyed the process of students learning to think, analyze, and collaborate with their peers to help solve a specific problem or project. When done effectively, the end result can be seen by the sense of accomplishment and excitement displayed by the students. This is a defining moment for any teacher because you know self-discovery and true learning has taken place. For the students of Dyce, Cults, Kemnay, and Westhill Academies, this workshop competition provided that opportunity.

Join the conversation on Facebook— www.Facebook.com/Energy4me. You can also connect with us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Energy4me!

Passionate About STEM? Einstein Fellow May be for You

Author: Anthony Darby; Published: Oct 25, 2012; Category: Education outreach, Energy Education; Tags: Classroom Instruction, energy education, STEM; Comments: Comments Off

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program is a paid fellowship for K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in Washington, D.C., serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill.

Albert Einstein Fellows bring to Congress and appropriate branches of the federal government the extensive knowledge and experience of classroom teachers. They provide practical insights and “real world” perspectives to policy makers and program managers developing or managing educational programs. During the Fellowship, each Einstein Fellow receives a monthly stipend of $6000.00 plus a $1000.00 monthly cost of living allowance. In addition, there is a moving/relocation allowance as well as a professional travel allowance.

Some of the outstanding contributions of Einstein Fellows have included:

• Drafting legislation and influencing policy that seek to improve K-16 education in the United States; Initiating collaborations and establishing partnerships between federal agencies
• Designing and implementing national science, math, and technology education programs
• Creating web-based science education programs
• Establishing and evaluating national and regional programs centered on school reform and teacher preparation in science, mathematics, and technology; and Creating and producing educational curricula and products with national distribution

Applications for the 2013-14 Fellowship program are due by 11:00 pm (EST) 5 December 2012. To learn more about the program – including how to apply – visit www.einsteinfellows.org

Join the conversation on Facebook— www.Facebook.com/Energy4me. You can also connect with us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Energy4me! 

National Engineers Week Foundation’s “New Faces of Engineering- College Edition” returns for 2nd year!

Author: Anthony Darby; Published: Sep 19, 2012; Category: Education outreach, Energy Education, Engineering Careers; Tags: energy education, Engineering Careers, engineers week; Comments: Comments Off

THE NATION’S TOP THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH YEAR

COLLEGE ENGINEERING STUDENTS ARE HONORED WITH SCHOLARSHIPS AND RECOGNITION

Applications Now Available at Facebook.Com/CollegeEdition

 

WASHINGTON DC, September 18, 2012 – New Faces of Engineering – College Edition returns for its second year to recognize some of the nation’s most promising undergraduate engineering students.  Applications are now available at www.Facebook.com/CollegeEdition.  The deadline for submission is Friday, November 16.  Nominees will be announced during Engineers Week, 2013 (February 17-23).  Winners will be announced on April 2 and will receive scholarships and national recognition in print and online.

In its successful inaugural year, College Edition’s 15 honorees represented a cross-section of interests, specialties and backgrounds.  One of last year’s winners, DeeAnn Turpin, is a Biological Systems Engineering major at Kansas State University and an active member of Engineers Without Borders.  DeeAnn was nominated by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and as an honoree, she was able to participate as a judge in the Future City Competition’s national finals (www.futurecity.org).  DeeAnn shared her enthusiasm on Facebook: “I am very honored to have been selected for the New Faces of Engineering College Edition Award and I am proud to represent EWB, SHPE, and K-State! Go Cats!!”

The College Edition Facebook page recognizes the achievements of third, fourth and fifth year engineering students and provides a forum where students can communicate with the Foundation throughout the year.  The page also provides a source of academic and professional development opportunities available to them from National Engineers Week Foundation’s engineering association, university, and corporate partners.  Students can meet with their engineering peers in every field and learn about other events, licensure exams, internships, jobs, competitions, engineering associations and more.   

The College Edition application requires the student’s photo (jpg format), list of accomplishments, and four short essays.  To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a Bachelor of Science Engineering program at an ABET Accredited college or university or from an equivalent international educational institution and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Students must also be affiliated with one of the following engineering associations: 

• SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers)
• AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers)
• AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society)
• ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers)
• ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
• ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)
• ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
• CIE-USA (Chinese Institute of Engineers)
• IEEE-USA (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
• NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering)
• NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers)
• NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers)
• NOGLSTP (National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals)
• SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers)
• SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)

Students that do not currently belong to an above society may still join a participating organization. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/collegeedition. 

New Faces of Engineering – College Edition is inspired by the National Engineers Week Foundation’s highly successful New Faces of Engineering program which, for ten years, has honored the nation’s top young professionals.  Funding for New Faces of Engineering – College Edition is provided by NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying). 

“NCEES is excited to again sponsor New Faces of Engineering – College Edition and build on its success of recognizing outstanding engineering students and raising awareness of the importance of professional engineering in our everyday lives,” says NCEES Immediate Past President and 2013 EWeek Chair Dale Jans, P.E.  “By providing a dynamic online presence, the program is designed to help all engineering students connect and find the resources they need for their future careers.” 

About National Engineers Week Foundation

The National Engineers Week Foundation works year-round to sustain and grow a dynamic engineering profession critical to public health, safety, and welfare.  The Foundation supports engineering outreach, education, and celebration through a network of thousands of volunteers in its partner coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies. Together we meet a vital need: introducing students, parents, and educators to engineering, engaging them in hands-on engineering experiences, and making science and math relevant. The Foundation and coalition are actively putting the E in STEM.

For more information, visit www.eweek.org.  Join the conversation on Facebook— www.Facebook.com/Energy4me. You can also connect with us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Energy4me!