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The EnergyPartners Fund brought the Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit, a $1.2 million traveling STEM-based interactive education exhibit, to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley where Club Kids and Fillmore school students enjoyed it. |
EnergyPartners Fund brings Mobile
Oilfield Learning Unit to Boys & Girls Club
November 04, 2015
By Robert Cantu
Santa Paula News
Over the past five years the EnergyPartners Fund of the Tri-Counties has helped students learn and achieve, encouraged content mastery through field trips and mentorships, and have provided resources to teachers to explore new ideas and technologies that bring STEM to life.
And one of the most popular resources shared by the fund is the Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit (MOLU), which made a recent visit to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley Santa Paula Clubhouse. Not only Club Kids but also students from Fillmore schools got a chance to take part in the special day of learning.
The Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit is a $1.2 million traveling STEM-based interactive education exhibit that is correlated to common core standards for 5th through 8th grade students. MOLU features six self-contained learning kiosks with curriculum based, hands-on activities about energy and the technologies and sciences involved with the oil and gas industry.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) came to life with the exhibit that Club Executive Director Jan Marholin said was made possible by the Santa Paula Unified School District, Gail Pratt of the fund and Club Board Member Amy Fonzo, who is also involved in EnergyPartners.
The exhibit was going to be utilized by Club Kids later in the afternoon, but “I said we have to get some schools in here,” and Marholin contacted the Fillmore School District, which arranged for students to be bussed in to enjoy the learning unit.
Each session from the schools had about 60 students who like Club Kids later, “Were really engaged in it…it was neat. Each kid had a workbook and worked as a team. There’s a retired engineer that travels with the exhibit and he talks to the kids and leads them. Each time he blows his whistle,” said Marholin, “they move on to the next exhibit.
“No one was ever off-task or running in the gym or not engaged…the whole basis of STEM learning is hands-on,” and the students and Club Kids enthusiastically enjoyed the interactive exhibit.
And even the adults: “I liked the robotic arm,” that Marholin said had to be manipulated to rotate to pickup ping-pong type balls.
Through specialized opportunities, interactive exhibits, career presentations and a robust grant program, the EnergyPartners Fund has awarded more than $850,000 to local classrooms, schools, districts and non-profits organizations with a cumulative impact exceeding 60,000 students in the Tri-Counties.
Said Marholin, “We are thankful that with caring community supporters, such as the EnergyPartners Fund who made this event possible, we can continue to further engage our youth in STEM education opportunities.”
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley call (805) 525-7910 or visit: www.bgclubscv.org
