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NPRA's 7th Annual Science Teachers Enhancement Program (STEP) Provides Teachers the Tools to Encourage Students to Pursue the Study of Chemistry; This Year's Teacher Enrollment Grows More Than 50% From Last Year

Posted on: Monday, 12 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

NPRA, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, working in partnership with its member companies, will welcome 51 elementary school science teachers to the 7th Annual Science Teacher Enhancement Program (STEP). Member-sponsored teacher participation in the two, one-week programs focused on the teaching of chemistry grew over 50% from last year, with teachers coming from elementary schools across Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas. The first session starts today at Huntsman's Advanced Technology Center at The Woodlands, TX. A second program will be held June 19-23 at CRI/Criterion/Shell in Houston.

NPRA President Bob Slaughter said, "Statistics show that each year fewer and fewer American students pursue college degrees in chemistry. In order to ensure the nation will be prepared to face the energy supply challenges of the future, teachers and students need fresh and exciting tools for teaching math and science. Enhancing teachers' abilities to engage young students with fun and practical knowledge of chemistry will inspire future growth in the chemistry-based professions, which are critical to the refining and petrochemical industries. NPRA and its members are proud to sponsor STEP, which empowers teachers and their students with a strong knowledge and understanding of how chemistry-based professions provide Americans with a better quality of life."

NPRA's program is based on a highly successful, award-winning program developed at The Center for Chemical Education at Miami University of Ohio. Each one-week program focuses on hands-on activities to bring the science of chemistry to life for students. Using toys and other everyday objects, students are encouraged to make real-life connections between their classroom and the outside world. Supplies and books are provided to the teachers; they also have the opportunity to follow up with the instructors and fellow teachers when they return to their schools. In addition, teachers will visit Houston in January 2007 for a weekend review session to reinforce what they have learned and to present projects they have crafted using the concepts and methods taught this June.

NPRA member companies who are sponsoring teachers include Advanced Aromatics, Air Products & Chemicals, BASF Corporation, BP America, CDTech (CRI), Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., CITGO Petrochemicals, CR & L (Chemical Research & Licensing), CRI Criterion Inc., Dow Chemical, Enterprise Products, Ethyl Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., Huntsman Co., Navajo Refining, Nova Chemicals, Odfjell USA LP, Petrologistics LLC, Sasol North America, Inc., Shell, Sterling Chemicals, Sunoco, Texas Petrochemicals, Valero Energy Corp., and Williams Co.

For additional information on the STEP program, please visit the NPRA web site at http://www.npra.org.

NPRA is a national trade association with more than 450 members, including virtually all U.S. refiners and petrochemical manufacturers.

Source: Business Wire

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