News for immediate release
Contact: Sandy Barton, (307) 856-2028
(Riverton) – Forty-three Wyoming educators from 21 communities attended the Wyoming Energy Resource Workshop Oct. 22-23 in Riverton to learn from industry representatives the science and sources of energy, both in Wyoming and North America.
“Education is very important to us, and that is why we are doing this workshop,” said Mark Halseide (Hall-side), EnCana Oil and Gas (USA) Wind River Plant and Pipeline coordinator in Riverton. “In 2008, EnCana invested $1.4 million into Wyoming communities, including grants to the University of Wyoming, Central Wyoming College, Ag in the Classroom, Habitat for Humanity and Fremont County Board of Cooperative Education Services for the Energy Exploration program in local high schools.” He said the company also provides scholarships to students in Fremont, Sublette and Sweetwater counties where EnCana has its operations in the state.
Halseide, plus EnCana’s Wyoming Community Relations Advisor Randy Teeuwen, John Schmidt, Riverton Operations Manager, and Kristen Juve, Drilling and Completion Supervisor in Riverton, teamed up to explain the firm’s Wyoming operations and answer questions from the teachers.
The educator-oriented curriculum at the workshop included a take home “Science of Energy” kit for classroom use provided by EnCana Oil and Gas, plus take home lesson plans and activities for teaching the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas resources. Workshop sessions also included energy efficiency and conservation topics, along with tips on how to integrate energy topics into the classroom.
The Fremont County Board of Cooperative Education Services facilitated the workshop and EnCana Oil and Gas, Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom and NEED-Putting Energy into Education sponsored it.
Participating educators received credit for the two-day workshop, and completion certificates.
Participants represented the communities of Baggs, Big Piney, Casper, Cheyenne, Douglas, Dubois, Kaycee, Gillette, Lander, Laramie, Medicine Bow, Pinedale, Powell, Riverton, Rock Springs, Torrington and Upton.
