MOLU: Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit
Bringing Science and Technology to Life!
helping our next generation succeed
The Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit (MOLU) is a traveling exhibit that teaches students in grades 5-8 about science, technology, engineering & math (STEM) and the many careers available in the energy industry through hands-on, educational activities.
The MOLU has six mobile units with a total of 24 educational activities. Students travel around each station spending a few minutes learning, filling out accompanying worksheets, and engaging with the hands-on stations that teach topics like viscosity, drilling, permeability, drilling and much more.
“As the energy industry continues to transform itself in a time of widespread technological advances, we need to make sure the next generation of workers have the imagination & skills necessary to thrive in a world of new challenges & opportunities.”
Due to its popularity, first in Texas and Louisiana, Cabot, along with Shell, Schlumberger, Southwestern Energy, and Williams, funded the creation of a new MOLU that is permanently stationed in the Appalachian Basin to serve schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio & West Virginia.
The exhibit is transported via truck/trailer and can be set up in any gym or common area. The MOLU can accommodate up to 48 students in a 90-minute session where they rotate through each of the stations. Up to 4 MOLU sessions can be scheduled at a school, reaching almost 200 students in one day. Every student receives a "MOLU Pass" containing questions that correlate to all of the activities that they complete during the session.
Students are tested to establish baseline knowledge before interacting with the MOLU. After the visit, teachers administer a 'post-test' to see what they learned during the experience. On average, students scores improve by 50% from pre to post tests showcasing the teaching abilities of the MOLU.
Engaging local communities
The map below highlights many of the northeast locations MOLU has visited.
Bring MOLU to Your School
The MOLU is owned and operated by the Oilfield Energy Center (OEC).
The OEC, based in Houston, TX, is dedicated to expanding the awareness of the vast energy resources beneath the world's oceans, and to chronicle, the unique heritage and technological accomplishments of the industry that discovers, produces, and delivers these resources in a safe and environmentally responsible way.
Educators and industry representatives interested in scheduling or sponsoring a MOLU visit to a school may contact Melissa Turlip, Program Manager, at mturlip@commonwealthcharitable.org or (833) 348-2669.