Offshore Energy Center receives 2017 IOGCC Energy Education Award

The Offshore Energy Center (OEC) was honored with the 2017 Energy Education Award from the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) on 2 October at the IOGCC Chairman’s Stewardship Awards in Pittsburgh, Pa. The award is presented to a group or an organization that has created a program to educate the public about oil and natural gas and the hundreds of ways it affects the lives of Americans each day.

The OEC is based in Houston, and the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum and Education Center, which opened in 1998, is docked at Pier 19 in Galveston, Texas. The OEC’s mission is to promote awareness and understanding of the oil and gas industry to all levels of the public and academia. The museum features educational and interactive displays illustrating the story of oil and gas from seismic technology to exploration and production. Many founders have continually contributed both financially and with in-kind services to help develop and operate the Ocean Star museum and its hundreds of education exhibits.

The center’s Education Outreach program promotes a wider understanding of the energy industry to the public, educators, students and industry members. It offers complimentary teacher workshops, field trips and overnight summer camps for students and scouts. Its goals are to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for children in grades K-12. The OEC has developed curriculum materials for all grade levels and provides these materials free to schools.