Project underwritten by energy companies teaches science, careers, awareness
RIFLE – When would it make the most sense to get energy from oil and natural gas, and when would you instead rely on renewables? What kinds of jobs are there in energy, and what do you need to know to be qualified for them?
These questions, and more, come up when students from four high schools in western Garfield County enter a program supported by three industry companies and Colorado Mountain College. The Energy Professionals in Classrooms, or EPIC, project allows high school students to learn about energy-related activities from professionals employed by Chevron, Encana and Williams.
Each energy company contributed $10,000 toward the four-year-old project. The Colorado Mountain College Foundation and Coal Ridge, DeBeque, Grand Valley and Rifle high schools are also involved.
The project helps students and teachers understand science concepts, broadens students’ knowledge of energy-related careers and expands the awareness of industry operations where they live.
Working with EPIC project coordinator Kit Peixotto, students take part in various modules. Each module highlights aspects of the energy industry and addresses some key scientific concepts.
Peixotto serves as a liaison by connecting the energy/education partners with the high schools. She is a former middle school science teacher and since 1989 has worked extensively with state and district coordinators, higher education faculty and school staff in the area of mathematics and science standards-based teaching and assessment.
Hands-on modules connect students, mentors
The Chevron module uses an online simulation, Energyville, that guides students to make decisions about different types of energy resources to meet the needs of a growing city of 5.9 million people. Each selection has an impact on their city’s economy and environment.
At a recent science class at Coal Ridge High School, Sean Norris, special projects leader for Chevron, guided teams of students through the Energyville simulation on the company’s Web site, chevron.com.
“I want each team to come up with a plan to develop your energy resources,” he told students. “You have to consider the economic, environmental and conservation aspects. That plan will drive your future energy resource decisions as your town grows and is affected by national or even worldwide events, like energy security concerns.”
The game includes several rounds, each one showing how a town might grow and its energy needs might change. As new sources of energy, such as oil shale, hydrogen and nuclear, become more available with technological advances, students can choose them for their towns, as well.
“But they might be expensive, so choose wisely,” Norris advised the students.
At the end of the game, graphs show how each town fared in terms of its economy, environment and other factors.
“I really want you guys to understand the long-term impacts of your choices,” Norris said. “When I’m old and in a nursing home, you’ll be the ones running things.”
After the class, Norris said the game does not have any right or wrong answers.
“It’s really to get people talking and thinking,” he said. “Maybe we can eventually find some solutions that can meet our future energy needs, increase our national security, protect the environment and keep people working and society running.”
Through the EPIC program, students have the opportunity to learn directly from energy professionals, giving them rare access to knowledgeable, experienced mentors. For example, Encana geologists lead students on field trips through Glenwood Canyon and to Rifle Gap Reservoir. There they point out the geological formations and characteristic signs of the deeply buried rock formations that can be used for generating energy.
“As someone with a geology degree,” said Kathy Friesen, environmental coordinator for Encana, “it’s exciting to be part of a program that gives students and teachers the opportunity to interact with geologists, get an up-close look at a variety of rock formations and learn why natural gas is such an important component of energy development in this area. It’s also exciting to encourage students to pursue a field they might not otherwise have much knowledge of.”
To help students understand the technologies and processes used to extract natural gas from the ground and transport it to homes and businesses, Williams professionals take students to see a drilling rig drill a gas well. The environmental considerations associated with selecting, developing and restoring drilling sites are also discussed.
“When the students stand on an actual drilling rig pad, and they are told, ‘This is where your hot water comes from,’ natural gas operations take on a whole new importance,” said Susan Alvillar, community affairs representative for Williams. “The dialog is very meaningful after that revelation.”
Solar energy is the focus when students visit the Colorado Mountain College campus in Rifle for a day of classroom and laboratory activities. They learn about photovoltaic systems and solar energy technology through hands-on work, which increases their understanding of underlying scientific principles. Students also take a field trip to the City of Rifle’s wastewater treatment plant and a Habitat for Humanity home, both of which use solar technology.
Chris Ellis, who teaches the solar module at the college, said, “By enhancing their skill sets using hands-on solar assessment and experiential learning, these students may best be able to resolve tomorrow’s energy and environmental issues using the best of information and resources available.”
He added that the strength of the EPIC program in its entirety is that it teaches high school students the big picture of diversified energy production, on a local and national level. And it raises their scientific understanding, too.
“The ultimate goal is for students to develop in the areas of critical thinking and logical analysis of scientific experimentation,” he said.
