Shell

Shell Launches Website to Educate Students About Energy, Encourage Study in Math and Science
27-Sep-2006

To encourage middle and high school students' interest in math and science, while introducing them to the world of energy, Shell Oil Company is launching a new educational website, "Energizing Your Future with Shell."

In the energy industry, there is an anticipated shortage of technical workers due to the pending retirement of the baby boomers and the declining number of students pursuing technical careers. As part of a Workforce Development Initiative to increase the number of individuals in engineering, the geosciences and process technology, Shell created this online tool for teachers and students.

"Encouraging students in middle and high school to study math and science is critical to the future of the energy industry," said John Hofmeister, President of Shell Oil Company. "Developing these skills early will help prepare students for a future career in a technology-driven industry. For Shell, this website is an investment in our future."

"Energizing Your Future" offers teachers interactive classroom activities, reproducible worksheets, lesson ideas and links to other energy-related resources. For students, there are games, quizzes, puzzles and mini-movies along with information about energy careers.

"This interactive website, along with the classroom lessons, is designed to develop students' interests in engineering, geosciences and process technology and to introduce them to the many facets of our business," added Hofmeister. "Shell hopes this will eventually lead them to a career in the energy industry."

The web site was developed in partnership with Weekly Reader, a developer of educational products for schools nationwide. External teacher panels approved the curriculum, which is aligned with the National Science Education Standards. All the material on "Energizing Your Future" is free to download. In addition, Shell will send a printed program to more than 6,000 educators throughout the U.S. in October. This includes a poster on energy sources, with six activity panels to use in the classroom.

Looking towards the future, the educational website also focuses on alternative energy sources in the section "Tomorrow's Energy, Here Today," which teaches students that the future of energy will be diverse, including conventional oil and gas as well as unconventional oil and gas and renewable sources that could include wind, solar or hydrogen.