AUSTIN – Last week, fifth grade students from St. Mary’s Catholic School and Dora Romero Elementary School from the Brownsville area visited the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. Both schools were selected as winners of a contest organized by the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) as part of its educational outreach efforts.
For the past four years, TXOGA has provided sponsorships for the Mobile Energy Learning Unit (MELU) to visit elementary schools across Texas to promote STEM education and careers in the oil and natural gas industry. The MELU is a $1.2 million exhibit that features six self-contained learning stations with curriculum-based, hands-on activities about the energy, technologies and sciences involved with the oil and natural gas industry.
As part of its most recent MELU tour in the Fall of 2023, TXOGA and Rio Grande LNG sponsored a contest that challenged students to learn more about the industry and to draw everyday items that are created from oil and natural gas. Winning students were treated to an all-expense paid field trip to Austin that included a visit to the Bullock’s “Texas Oil and Gas Exhibit,” followed by a guided tour of the Texas State Capitol.
In his welcome to participating students, TXOGA President Todd Staples urged them to stay curious about science and engineering and shared with them some exciting career opportunities available in the oil and natural gas industry.
“TXOGA was proud to partner with Rio Grande LNG to make these field trips possible for the future innovators of our state,” said Staples. “The Texas oil and natural gas industry is committed to being a trusted partner in ensuring a cleaner, stronger and better future for Texas, and educational opportunities like these offer young Texans a hands-on experience to learn about an industry that is growing our economy, securing our future, and making life better for people here in Texas and across the world.”
“NextDecade and Rio Grande LNG are committed to supporting South Texas communities, and we were honored to partner with TXOGA to support STEM education opportunities for students at St. Mary’s Catholic School and Dora Romero Elementary through TXOGA’s MELU field trip contest,” said Andrea Benton, Head of Community Relations for NextDecade.
“Our students, teachers and the entire St. Mary’s community appreciates TXOGA and Rio Grande LNG for sponsoring our field trip to our Texas State Capital to learn more about the Texas oil and gas industry and our state government,” said Ana Gomez, principal at St. Mary’s Catholic School. “This field trip was such an extraordinary opportunity for our students to experience in-person what they’re learning in school about STEM education and careers by visiting the Texas Oil and Gas Exhibit, and it was awe-inspiring to see our beautiful, historic State Capitol building.”
“Thank you to TXOGA and Rio Grande LNG for providing our students with such an enriching experience at the Bullock Texas State History Museum and Texas Capitol,” said Karina Lucio, principal at Dora Romero Elementary School. “At school we stress the importance of STEM education, but to be able to provide our students with an in-person, hands-on, interactive learning experience at the Texas Oil and Gas Exhibit showed them the real-world applications of what they’re learning in school, which is something they won’t forget!”
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Founded in 1919, TXOGA is the oldest and largest trade association in the state representing every facet of the Texas oil and gas industry.