The Consortium for Education, Research and Technology of North Louisiana (CERT) has formed a major partnership with the oil & gas industry to offer Energy Camps to students in seven area Parishes.

Incoming tenth graders from Bossier, Bienville, Caddo, Claiborne, Desoto, Red River and Webster Parishes will be eligible to participate in the Energy Camps beginning summer' 2010. Presenting sponsor, EnCana Oil and Gas established the program with a grant for $110,000.

"Representatives from EnCana approached us early last year with the idea and have really been the catalysts to make Energy Camp possible in northwest Louisiana," said Patti Trudell, CERT's Executive Director. "We can't thank them enough for their leadership and considerable financial support. This partnership has been forged out of a shared goal to develop educational resources for our community. We are excited to be involved with them and are looking forward to kicking off Energy Camp this summer."

CERT was established in 1996 as a non-profit, regional higher education consortium. CERT serves as a convener and connects its 12 member institutions, 11 colleges and universities and the Biomedical Research Foundation, with K through12 education, with business and industry, and economic and workforce development partners.
Bossier Parish Community College will be an intricate part of the program.

Chancellor Jim Henderson said, “I believe that as a community college, we have this tremendous responsibility to respond to the opportunities in the energy sector. We have done that by developing an innovative oil and gas technology program that will hopefully be approved by the board of regents this month.”

Her added that, “Energy Camp Louisiana will be pathway to educate the younger students about the opportunities in the energy field. I think that it will become a natural pipeline for them to come right in to our program.”  “We think that it is a perfect match. We think that it is exactly what we should be doing, and we are excited about it.”  
 According to Henderson, EnCana has been such a big supporter of Bossier Parish Community College.

“They contributed $100,000 to the development of the program at BPCC. They are the real catalyst behind this. It speaks so much about their social responsibilities and their understanding that in order for them to be successful they have to help develop the oil and gas work force,” he said.

"We are so proud to be working with CERT to establish the summer Energy Camps in Louisiana," said Don McClure, Vice President at EnCana Oil and Gas. "Education is a key factor in EnCana's commitment to the communities where we operate and something we see as vital to growing the future workforce. Our hope is to introduce students to energy in a fun environment at summer camp at an age when they will begin to think about their career plans. These kids are stakeholders in the future of energy, and we hope the information and influence these energy camps provide will have a lifelong, positive impact for each student that participates."

Superintendent of Curriculum for the Bossier Parish School Board Sally Namie said, “This is in keeping with some of the things that the Bossier Parish School Board has looked at to move in the direction of offering more opportunities to our students.”

She added, “We anticipate that at some point we will be able to offer more classes to our students. This is just one way of taking that first step.”

Four week long sessions of Energy Camp will be offered this summer on the campuses of Southern University at Shreveport and Bossier Parish Community College during June and July. Free to participating students, Energy Camp will be a fun week of hands-on learning about the different sources of energy, and energy efficiency and conservation.

In addition to classroom and lab activities, students will participate in multiple off-site fieldtrips where they will have the chance to see energy resources first?hand and learn how they are developed and used in our society.
CERT has hired two highly respected teachers from the area to present the inaugural Energy Camps this summer.  One of them is Bossier Parish schoolteacher Mary Marston.

Marston serves as the Chair of the Science Department and teaches physics and physical science at Haughton High School. A 20-year veteran, she is certified to teach physics, chemistry, earth science and general science and attended The University of New Orleans pursuing a Master's Degree in Geology.

“It is a great opportunity for our students to be introduced to all the science that goes with the energy industry. One of the focuses will be on careers. So not only are they going to get to do hands on experiments and hopefully other fun things. They are going to get to tour some of the Haynesville Shale sites,” she said. “They will be introduced to all of the different fields from people that work in them.”

Marston said that the camps would not be just limited to the higher education students.

Ethan Sullivan, a student at Haughton High School said, “I think that the camp will help us to learn more about energy, and show us new ways to develop energy. It is exciting.”

Summer Igo is also a student at Haughton High School. She said, “I think that it will be fun and interesting. I might possibly look at doing more in the area energy. I have not decided yet.”

Energy Camp brochures and applications will be made available to students via school districts later this spring.

Students who will be considered tenth graders in the fall of 2010 will be eligible to apply. For more information please contact CERT at (318) 795-2485 or visit their website at www.ce11Ia.org.

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