advertisement

Harrisburg teacher to assist at petroleum board teaching program

HARRISBURG - Harrisburg Unit 3 teacher Cindy Fry is one of a few southern Illinois teachers who will serve as master teachers at this summer's Illinois Petroleum Resources Board 10th Annual Summer Teachers Program.

The program is June 24-27 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Mount Vernon.

This free program is designed to introduce Illinois grades 3-12 math and science teachers to all aspects of the oil and natural gas industry, including leasing, geology, drilling, production, transportation and refining. More than 600 Illinois teachers from 97 different counties have attended the program since it debuted in 2010. Participating teachers earn either 7.5 professional development hours and two graduate course credits from Illinois State University or 37.5 professional development hours. Teachers also receive a classroom-ready lab kit worth hundreds of dollars.

The program features a day of hands-on workshops and a tour day that includes visits to Illinois Basin production, drilling, storage and refining facilities. Fry, the Harrisburg Unit 3 teacher, joins several southern Illinois teachers, including Marion Community School District 2's Karen Powell and Herrin CUSD 4's Eleanor Gillespie, serving as master teachers this year.

The Illinois Petroleum Resources Board is a nonprofit organization that provides public awareness and education programs regarding the upstream Illinois oil and gas industry. IPRB also works to clean up and restore abandoned oil field sites throughout the state. IPRB programs are funded entirely by voluntary contributions of oil and natural gas producers and royalty owners in Illinois.