SPE Pittsburgh Petroleum Section Participating in Engineers Week at Carnegie Science Center

Author: Guest Author; Published: Feb 10, 2011; Category: Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Engineering Careers, Environment, Geology, Math, Renewable energy, Science, SPE members, Technology, Uncategorized, Volunteering; Tags: Careers, Children, Education, Energy, Energy Conservation, Engineering, Engineering Careers, eWeek, Geology, Geothermal, Math, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, School, SPE, Student, Technology, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Guest Author – By Donna Marcotte, SPE Pittsburgh Petroleum Section, Board Member

Student and professional members from the Pittsburgh Petroleum Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) will present demonstrations, exhibits, and hands-on activities at the Carnegie Science Center Engineers Week event on February 18 and 19.

SPE Pittsburgh has been participating in this event for more than 10 years and is a contributing sponsor this year.

The SPE booth will feature petroleum engineering students from Pennsylvania State University (PSU), the SPE student chapter affiliate of the Pittsburgh professional section. The PSU SPE members will engage Pittsburgh area students in various activities and exhibits, developed by the students and contributed by various SPE Pittsburgh members and companies.

Booth activities will include various materials, samples, experiments and games—with lots of prizes and give-ways. Professional SPE members from the greater Pittsburgh area will also be on hand to help students with the materials and answer questions.

Companies contributing to the success of this event include: Baker Hughes, Burnett Oil, Centric Performance, EKT Interactive, EQT, EXCO Resources, Range Resources, Schlumberger, and Superior Well Services.

This year’s co-chairs for the SPE Pittsburgh booth are area residents and SPE members, Melissa Ramirez, a petroleum engineer at EXCO Resources, Inc. and Bill Thomas, a consultant with Centric Performance, LLC and member of the Marcellus Resource Group.

“This industry offers so much opportunity for anyone interested in any kind of engineering or earth science, such as geology,” explains Ramirez, also a PSU graduate. “It’s a chance to contribute daily to solving the world’s energy problems.”

“We want to get the word out to area students, so they can get the right education and take advantage of these exciting career opportunities, which are now right in their own backyards,” states Thomas.

Petroleum Industry Full Circle in Pennsylvania

Many credit Titusville, Pa., just north of Pittsburgh, as the birthplace of the modern oil and gas industry, when in 1859 Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well. Oil production in Pennsylvania peaked in the early 20th century, and oil and gas production has continued over the years without a lot of fanfare. Since 2005, however, the industry has seen resurgence in the area with exploration and development of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, a vast geological formation that spans six states, including a large portion of Pennsylvania.

New technologies—developed and deployed by engineers from many different disciplines—have made extracting natural gas from shale technologically and economically feasible. Many experts believe that the Marcellus Shale will provide a huge natural gas source for Northeast U.S. markets and a vital boost to the local economy in increased tax revenue, business activity, and good-paying jobs.

About Engineers Week

The Engineers Week event at the Carnegie Science Center celebrates engineering achievements and provides an opportunity to reach out to students K-12th grade and introduce them to exciting careers in engineering.

For more information about the Carnegie Science Center Engineers Week event, visit their website at http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/default.aspx?pageId=363.

For more information about Engineers Week, visit the National Engineers Week Foundation website at www.eweek.org.

About SPE

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves 88,000-plus members in 118 countries worldwide. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry and provides services through its publications, conferences, workshops, forums, and website. Learn more about SPE and its energy education program Energy4me.

With more than 700 professional and student members throughout Western Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Petroleum Section is one of the many affiliated sections and chapters of SPE International, which is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.

One of the primary roles of SPE and the local section is to raise and award scholarships for college students. This year, SPE Pittsburgh will award $15,000 in scholarships to area students. For more information about SPE Pittsburgh, visit http://spepgh.weebly.com/.

Teachers learn about energy at SPE workshop in Florence, Italy

Author: Heather Stanford; Published: Sep 28, 2010; Category: Classroom materials, Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Science, SPE members, Technology, Uncategorized, Volunteering; Tags: Children, Classroom Instruction, Education, Energy, Energy4me, Lesson Plans, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, School, science, SPE, Teacher, Technology; Comments: Be the first

The Society of Petroleum Engineers brought 50 Tuscany-area science teachers to its 2010 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Florence, Italy, on 22 September to learn about energy topics.

The “Energize Your Classroom” teacher workshop presented by SPE’s Energy4me energy education program, partnering with the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci. ExxonMobil was the sponsor of the event, enabling the teachers for pre-university students age 10-18 to attend the workshop and receive the Italian materials at no cost.

The all-day workshop began with a keynote speaker, Giambattista De Ghetto, senior vice president for Research and Technological Innovation of Eni E&P, based in Milan. His talk provided an overview of “Energy’s Grand Challenges” with a special focus on the Italian petroleum industry.

After the keynote address, four instructors from the museum conducted the workshop, teaching them hands-on activities to use with their students in the classroom. Working in small groups, the teachers performed exercises and experiments that explored the characteristics of oil as a fluid and related science to everyday life. The museum instructors were Enrico Miotto, Fabrizio Stavola, Michela Maddalena, and Janos Cont.

The teachers also toured the exhibition area of the conference, with industry professionals from SPE’s Italian Section and the museum staff explaining the high-tech tools used by the oil and gas industry to find and produce energy resources around the world.

“The teachers told us they appreciated the opportunity to attend and that they very much valued this initiative,” said Alberto Di Lullo of Eni E&P, program chair for the SPE Italian Section who helped organize the event.

The teachers received the English version of Energy4me’s “Oil and Natural Gas” book and a CD with Italian lesson plans, classroom activities, hands-on experiments, ready-to-go classroom presentations, teaching aids, and speaker resources that all correspond with the book. The Oil and Natural Gas book addresses topics including the formation of natural gas and oil, finding and retrieving petroleum, products from petroleum, and oil and the environment.

Energy4me donates the “Oil and Natural Gas” book to teachers attending our teacher workshops around the globe. Energy4me’s educational materials are also available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Tips for Teaching Energy

Author: Heather Stanford; Published: Sep 24, 2010; Category: Classroom materials, Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Energy sources, Engineering Careers, Environment, Math, Renewable energy, Science, Uncategorized; Tags: Children, Classroom Instruction, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Energy4me, Geothermal, Lesson Plans, natural gas, Petroleum, Renewable, School, SPE, Speaker, Student, Teacher; Comments: Be the first

Introducing energy topics in the classroom might seem like a daunting task to teachers especially when it comes to teaching energy sources. Teaching energy sources is a multi-faceted topic with global implications that can be fun and exciting with a little help from Energy4me and these useful tips!

Teachers can start their energy lessons by showing students the colorful and informative “Oil and Natural Gas” book, produced by the Society of Petroleum Engineers with DK Publishing. The book, which is free for teachers, puts a visual image with the scientific concepts being learned and shows kids how petroleum and natural gas shapes our world. Energy4me offers free downloadable lesson plans that correspond to the “Oil and Natural Gas” book.

Another great resource teachers can use is our Energy4me kit to help them in the classroom. The kit includes engaging classroom activities and hands-on experiments, ready-to-go classroom presentations, teaching aids, and speaker resources. Materials are tailored to students ages 5-18 and are also free to download.

After learning about different energy sources and their impact on their lives, students will want to learn more. Give them a well-rounded view on energy education and request a classroom speaker. Energy4me engages the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ (SPE) professional members worldwide to help serve as classroom speakers.

Energy4me is a great free resource to help make learning about energy fun and exciting!

Educational materials are also available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

Italian Classroom Materials Now Available!

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Sep 10, 2010; Category: Classroom materials, Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Science, SPE members, Uncategorized, Volunteering; Tags: Children, Classroom Instruction, Education, Energy, Energy4me, Lesson Plans, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, School, SPE, STEM, Student, Teacher, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Energy4me is excited to announce free downloadable Italian lesson plans and classroom activities on Energy4me.org!

Energy4me Kit materials and lesson plans that correspond with Energy4me’s “Oil and Natural Gas” book were translated into Italian for the “Energize Your Classroom Teacher Workshop” to be held during the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) on 22 September 2010 in Florence, Italy. All materials are also now available for teachers to download directly from Energy4me.org! The workshop and Italian materials are free for teachers thanks to a generous sponsorship from ExxonMobil.

The kit downloads include fun classroom activities and hands-on experiments, ready-to-go classroom presentations, teaching aids, and speaker resources. Materials are tailored to age groups (primary, intermediate, and secondary students.)

The lesson plans address topics including the formation of natural gas and oil, finding and retrieving petroleum, products from petroleum, and oil and the environment. They are designed for teachers to use with students ages 10-18 in conjunction with the “Oil and Natural Gas” book. They were created using the 5E constructivist learning cycle, helping students build their own understanding from experiences and new ideas. The 5Es represent the five stages of a sequence for teaching and learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaboration and Evaluate.

Energy4me donates the “Oil and Natural Gas” book to teachers attending our teacher workshops around the globe. Books are also donated to the teacher when members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers give energy-related classroom presentations to students ages 5-18. Books can also be purchased and donated to teachers for wider distribution.

Energy4me’s educational materials are also available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Free Arabic and Chinese Lesson Plans Now Available!

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Aug 23, 2010; Category: Classroom materials, Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Science, SPE members, Volunteering; Tags: Children, Classroom Instruction, Education, Energy4me, Lesson Plans, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, School, SPE, Speaker, Student, Teacher, Volunteer; Comments: Comments Off

Energy4me is excited to announce free downloadable Arabic and Chinese lesson plans on Energy4me.org.

 The lesson plans correspond with Energy4me’s Arabic and Chinese versions of the “Oil and Natural Gas “book. They address topics including the formation of natural gas and oil, finding and retrieving petroleum, products from petroleum, and oil and the environment.

The lesson plans are designed for teachers to use with students ages 10-18 in conjunction with the book. They were created using the 5E constructivist learning cycle, helping students build their own understanding from experiences and new ideas. The 5Es represent the five stages of a sequence for teaching and learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaboration and Evaluate.

Energy4me donates the “Oil and Natural Gas” book to teachers attending our teacher workshops around the globe. Books are also donated to the teacher when members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers give energy-related classroom presentations to students ages 5-18. Books can also be purchased and donated to teachers for wider distribution.

Select materials from the Energy4me Kit are also free to download in Arabic and Chinese. The kit includes fun classroom activities and hands-on experiments, ready-to-go classroom presentations, teaching aids, and speaker resources.

Energy4me’s educational materials work together to make learning memorable and fun!