ENGAGING THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY THROUGH PETROLEUM INDUSTRY SPONSORED PROGRAMS

Abstract

The Schools Information Program (SIP), a joint venture of the Petroleum Club of Western Australia and APPEA, has operated as a successful model of the petroleum industry engaging with the Western Australian education community since 1991.

Targetted at Year 10 students (15-year-olds) in mainly metropolitan Perth Government and private high schools, the SIP involves the delivery of a short-term (about six weeks) education program—in six parts. The program, together with its course materials and student assessment instruments, is designed to integrate with components of WA’s curriculum for Science, Social Science, Technology and Enterprise, and English. Operating in 22 Perth schools, the SIP framework is structured according to six core areas of the hydrocarbon industry sector:

exploration;

drilling;

production;

transportation;

refining; and

sustainable development.

The program’s mode of delivery is largely via a series of classroom presentations by volunteer professionals drawn from the WA petroleum industry, together with field trips to relevant sites near Perth. The SIP is managed by a part-time co-ordinator (0.6) and the entire program is overseen by a ‘steering committee’, drawn from APPEA, the Board of Governors of the Petroleum Club of WA, along with some of the industry presenters.

Individual companies in the industry are involved at a number of levels: co-ordinating presenters; preparing presentation materials; providing on-going support for students during the program; providing prizes as an incentive to the students; and also providing cash donations to assist with the costs of the Co-ordinator. The course materials consist of standard slide presentations (available in both electronic or OHP format), and are complemented by written worksheets, and a website integrated with the Petroleum Club of WA’s site. During the program, the students, working in groups, compete for substantial industry-related prizes, by completing a research project related to the SIP course content. A separate Board of Review assesses projects formally according to a set of established criteria.

That the SIP is a success is confirmed quantitatively using formal ongoing program evaluation by the students, their teachers, and the industry presenters, and is evidenced by the number of schools seeking the limited places in the program. Other education initiatives (e.g. Speaking of Oil and Gas, and The Introduction to the Petroleum Industry seminars) are also discussed in this paper as they have links to the SIP.