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A Competition for Children's Education in Oklahoma [1]
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Date: 2022-12-12
Ree and GEE are mascots for the Oklahoma Renewable Energy Education Program
During my research about Oklahoma wind generation I ran across an interesting article teachers create renewable energy curriculum to compete with OERB.
Jane Cronin and Tara Barker are retired middle school science teachers. Over the years they attended the science curriculum workshops put on by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, a state agency funded by oil and gas producers and royalty owners, that spends millions on K-12 science curriculum focused exclusively on fossil fuels.
So, what is a state agency funded by fossil fuel corporations all about? First stop was the Oklahoma state government website and there really is a state agency called the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board.
The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB) was founded in 1993 by the state legislature at the request of the oil and natural gas industry. Our leaders’ vision was to leverage the collective strength of the industry to restore land associated with historic well sites and help support educators across the state. Since that time, the OERB has cleaned more than 18,000 historic well sites at no cost to landowners and has provided millions of dollars of free classroom equipment. The OERB remains the gold-standard for voluntarily supported oil and natural gas programs in the nation.
The funding comes from a 0.1% fee on all oil and gas revenues (unless the owner opts out which about 5% do) and funds abandoned well cleanup and a large educational program. I have no argument with the well cleanup and safety programs but the educational part was interesting.
The OREB homeroom program provides all sorts of support for teachers to educate students about how great oil and gas are for the nation and Oklahoma by providing
Curriculum for teachers at each grade level, K-12.
Free books, supplies, handouts and other materials with refills on request.
Free visits by “Petro Pros”.
Fun handouts about the oil and gas industry explained by Petro Pete.
Free virtual tours of industry sites.
Free museum field trips (tickets and transportation expenses reimbursed).
Workshops (required) to train teachers in the program with a 100$ stipend for attendance, done at the school.
Professional Education Hours for attending the workshops.
The teachers describe the program as well organized with high quality teaching materials. This takes part of curriculum development load off the teacher by providing everything needed and it comes from a state agency so no one can complain.
For some teachers the OERB educational program did not seem balanced with their values.
Jane Cronin and Tara Barker are retired middle school science teachers. Over the years they attended the science curriculum workshops put on by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, a state agency funded by oil and gas producers and royalty owners, that spends millions on K-12 science curriculum focused exclusively on fossil fuels.
And then these two teachers do what teachers do best.
“Jane and I both had gone to those workshops, and we had gotten their materials, and they were really good.” Barker explained. “We were concerned about the environment, and we wanted to have something like what they have, but for renewable energy.” With funding through The Sierra Club, one of the largest environmental groups in the country, Cronin and Barker teamed up with a local professor to develop the Oklahoma Renewable Energy Education Program, or OREEP. The group held one of its first workshops on June 9, 2018. About a dozen teachers gathered at the Central Electric Cooperative in Stillwater testing various activities related to wind power. Cronin and Barker offered incentives similar to OERB’s. Attendees received loads of free materials, such as mini solar panels that can be used to teach about electricity.
snipped
For the most part, Cronin and Barker appear to be following OERB’s playbook. They even created a mascot similar to OERB’s Petro Pete, a cartoon oil worker who lives in a make-believe town called Petroville, Oklahoma, and teaches kids the merits of all things oil and gas through picture books. OREEP’s mascot is described as a “tween scientist” named “Re” short for “Renewable”. Re’s robot sidekick, GEE, which stands for “Green Energy Explorer,” teaches her about renewable energy. Soon, Cronin and Barker plan to roll out storybooks about Re and GEE’s adventures for elementary-age students.
The remainder of the article talks about the politicization of science education (as if that’s a new thing, sigh) and industry influence. It’s an interesting article but I think these teachers are doing the right thing by focusing on renewables education but detached from the industry.
Johnson Bridgewater, who leads the Oklahoma chapter of Sierra Club, says OREEP is fundamentally different from OERB. “We have been very conscientious to avoid being funded by a specific industry,” Johnson said. Johnson said OREEP will not take money directly from energy companies, though they received startup funding from the Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council, a non-profit with some industry support. “We’re not promoting one industry over another. We’re sharing the truth about these industries,” Johnson said. “It’s simply focusing on the fact that these forms of energy are being deployed now. They’re becoming increasingly common. It’s like giving somebody both sides of an equation.”
To me that’s called education. To have an “Oklahoma Energy Resources Board” which ignores wind energy that supplies 40% of Oklahoma’s electricity is slightly off balance.
Please take a look at the Oklahoma Renewable Energy Education Program website. The vision page is a clear statement that sounds so teacherish I feel like I’m back in class.
The Future is Renewable Oklahoma’s renewable energy resources are key to the state’s economy, and today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders in the rapidly growing renewable energy marketplace. The future is renewable, and OREEP’s comprehensive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math)-based lessons empower students and help prepare them to compete in a global economy that prioritizes responsibility, diversity, and environmental sustainability. The Future is Bright From the rays of the noonday sun to the wind that “comes sweeping down the plains,” our world provides multiple resources to generate clean, efficient, renewable energy. OREEP’s mission is a dedication to face challenges with determination and hope, with a spirit of responsibility and resilience, to educate students across the state about the brighter future that can be found embracing, exploring and advancing the science of renewable energy. The Future is Free There is freedom in renewable energy - an opportunity for independence, self-reliance, and equity through the harnessing of power generated by our abundant renewable resources for economic and environmental stability. OREEP’s curriculum is conceived, designed and presented by science teachers, for science teachers, with right-sized materials and equipment provided for free so that all students can be given a hands-on, fun experience discovering the world of renewable energy science. OREEP.
The Future is Renewable with teachers leading the way.
Also note that Re’s sidekick is “Green Energy Explorer”, a very handy robot! As an old, rusty robot I so approve of what the younger robots are doing. GEE even converts into a backpack for easy transportation — so fancy.
As always teachers rock and really commit to educating the young - and sometimes the not so young. Do you have any experiences with such programs? What do you think about science and technology education in schools?
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/12/2141212/-A-Competition-for-Children-s-Education-in-Oklahoma
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