Colorado Petroleum Council Holds Student STEM Event in Rifle, Colorado to Encourage Young Men and Women to Pursue Oil and Gas Careers
Colorado Petroleum Council Executive Director Tracee Bentley and Grand Hank help students explore STEM education and career opportunities
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DENVER, June 5, 2018 – 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 STEM is to have them experience first-hand how it impacts their everyday lives in ways that are exciting, entertaining and fun,” said Hank.
According to an API study by RAND Corporation, jobs that require STEM skills and training currently compose 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 projects more than 1.9 million new job opportunities by 2035 and students who are STEM educated will have significant advantages to secure opportunities in the industry.
“We hope by introducing these exciting opportunities to young men and women, we will encourage not only a love of STEM, but a lifetime of learning for these students,” said Bentley. “We want them to leave better prepared to meet the needs America’s economy of the future.”
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.