HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the North American Prospect Expo (NAPE) Partners presented a $100,000 donation to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) Education Foundation at a check presentation in Houston. The donation will help fund the IPAA and Petroleum Equipment & Services Association’s (PESA) Energy Education Center, a program that provides high school students with advanced academic STEM learning experiences to prepare them for future careers in the oil and gas industry.
“With half of America’s oil and gas professionals projected to retire in the next 10 years, it’s crucial for our industry to act now to bridge this gap by providing greater access to education and training for our next generation of oil and gas professionals,” said Jeanine Haller Piskurich, Chair of the NAPE Operators Committee. “NAPE and its partners are committed to paving the way for the next generation of industry leaders and we’re proud to be able to do that by supporting the IPAA/PESA Education Center.”
The NAPE partners include the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Society of Exploration Geologists (SEG) and IPAA. The $100,000 donation will further fund the IPAA/PESA Education Center’s provision of guest speaker lectures on teamwork and business dynamics, industry and college site visits, externship programs and industry-related competitions to Petroleum Academies at five participating high schools throughout Houston and Fort Worth.
“Thanks to the generous support of the NAPE Partners, the IPAA Education Foundation can continue to build upon its commitment to education outreach and preparing the next generation of talented young professionals who will lead the future of the U.S. oil and gas industry,” said Barry Russell, IPAA President and CEO. “We are very grateful for this donation and we could not continue to prepare students to become effective leaders and global ambassadors in our industry without the help of NAPE Partners and our generous sponsors.”
Located in Texas, the IPAA/PESA Energy Education Center provides high school students with advanced academic STEM learning experiences to prepare them to pursue professional training and degrees in engineering, geology, geophysics and global energy management in the oil and natural gas industry. Working with the Houston Independent School District and the Fort Worth Independent School District, IPAA/PESA Energy Education Center has established five Petroleum Academies in Houston and Fort Worth. The academies include the Energy Institute High School, the Petroleum Academy at Charles H. Milby High School, the Petroleum Academy at Westside High School, and the Petroleum Academy at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy located in Houston; and the Petroleum Academy at Southwest High School located in Fort Worth.
About NAPE
NAPE, the oil and gas industry’s marketplace for the buying, selling and trading of prospects and producing properties, brings oil and gas professionals together to meet, network, connect and do business. NAPE currently offers three expos annually – two in Houston as well as one in Denver – bringing together prospects and all the key players needed to evaluate, facilitate and execute deals. The internationally recognized NAPE was established in 1993 by AAPL and also includes IPAA, SEG and AAPG as partners. For more information, please visit http://www.napeexpo.com and follow NAPE on Twitter at @NAPE_EXPO.
About the IPAA/PESA Energy Education Center
Founded in 2006, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association (PESA) Energy Education Center has five high school engineering, geoscience and leadership academies within the Houston and the Fort Worth Independent School Districts. The mission of these academies is to provide students with a multidisciplinary, advanced academic learning experience in science, mathematics and the emerging technology concepts needed to pursue professional training and degrees within the oil and natural gas industry. To learn more, visit www.ipaa.org/education.