The Petroleum Professionals in the Classroom Program – “Petro Pros” – has grown enormously in the past few years. The program grew by 56% in 2007 alone. Currently in 2008, the program is 31% ahead of the 2007 pace and 2008 is shaping up to be a record year. With over 50 industry volunteers, the Petro Pros Program has reached over 1,000 Kansans through 27 presentations this year alone, pushing the cumulative number of students and adults impacted by energy education programs to over 6,700.

Presentations have been made in many cities throughout Kansas in 2008 including Burlington, Valley Falls, Emporia, Pittsburg, Topeka, St. Mary’s, Wakeeney, Hays, Hesston, Wichita and Newton to name a few. The Petro Pros program brings professionals from the Kansas oil and gas industry to the classroom to educate students about the science and business aspects of the industry. Petro Pros use rocks, fossils, drill bits, maps and other learning tools to demonstrate how oil is formed, discovered and produced and why it is so important to our economy and way of life. Grade-level specific lesson plans and curricula that meet Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) learning standards for both science and social science have been developed. 

To request a PetroPro to present to your class, simply fill out the request form and we’ll have a Petro Pro contact you for more information

The KSDE has advocated the curricula for utility in Kansas K-12 schools. Petroleum professionals who volunteer their time to participate in the Petro Pros Program receive training on the KSDE-approved curricula and lesson plans to ensure the program’s credibility. The Petro Pros Program provides standards-based energy education, specifically aligned to KSDE learning standards, needed for utility in Kansas schools.