Colorado Petroleum Council holds student STEM event in Colorado to encourage oil and gas careers
DENVER, – The Colorado Petroleum Council, Colorado Mountain College, and the Rocky Mountain Energy Forum hosted nearly 130 students, grades six through ten, from Rifle, Colorado and beyond to talk about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This is the fourth annual STEM event hosted by the Colorado Petroleum Council to encourage young men and women to learn more about STEM careers, especially in the natural gas and oil industry, one of Colorado’s most innovative and technologically advanced industries.
“This event provides students in rural Colorado with better knowledge about the many opportunities in STEM careers,” said Tracee Bentley, executive director of the Colorado Petroleum Council. “We are helping students learn more about how they can help contribute to providing breakthroughs in energy for powering our future, and how they can thrive in an evolving industry like ours.”
National Master Scientist and TV Personality Grand Hank joined the hosts in immersing students in STEM education. Grand Hank Productions, Inc. was established to provide educational training and instruction to students and educators through the application of state-of-the-art production technologies. This conference supports students through a hands-on learning environment to develop and spark interest in STEM careers.
“The best way to impact students in the direction of careers in
According to an API study by RAND Corporation, jobs that require STEM skills and training currently comprise 20 percent of all U.S. jobs. Current projections anticipate that the STEM economy will grow by nine percent by 2024, faster than the growth rate projected for all other occupations. STEM education is critical to meeting America’s future energy needs and should be encouraged from an early age, according to a 2015 Stanford University study. The natural gas and oil industry
“We hope by introducing these exciting opportunities to young men and women, we will encourage not only a love of
In addition to this event, the “Women in Power” initiative will sponsor an evening event on June 5 to bring women together to discuss the opportunities and challenges of female leaders.
The Colorado Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry supports 10.3 million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 45 million Americans.
Comments