SOWELA Technical Community College
SOWELA was one of 13 Louisiana programs to receive funding to advance talent development in the energy industry. ExxonMobil supported the professional development program by engaging Rice University Tapia Center to lead a professional development camp and providing in-kind support for the overall STEM initiative. Allen Parish School Board engaged by securing superintendents' participation, promoting the program, recruiting the educators and building programmatic support. SOWELA Technical Community College hosted the camp at their Oakdale campus, supported the program implementation, led the showcase event on June 27 and engaged their industry partners as mentors during the camp.
Funding supported 32 Southwest Louisiana educators for this week-long experience. Middle and high school teachers from all disciplines explored the principles of project-based learning, designed energy-related projects and developed lesson plans for classroom integration during the school year. Educators chose from four project topics: CCS, Wind Power, Heat Transfer and Solar. During the week, teachers worked in groups to develop four lessons based on their energy theme: a hands-on launch activity, fundamentals, going deeper and presentation prep.
Tapia Center instructors taught throughout the week on topics such as project-based learning principles and creating engaging student lessons, and supported educators in developing effective lesson plans. Each project included a hands-on component to enhance educator engagement. As the week progressed, attendees met with industry experts and project mentors to continue working on their energy-based projects and presentations. The week culminated in a showcase event where educators presented their projects to a group of 36 special guests, including Allen, Beauregard, Cameron and Jefferson Davis Parish School Board members, as well as elected officials and industry professionals. During their presentations, the educators emphasized hands-on learning and real-world applications to better prepare students for future careers in STEM and energy industries. Educators left the training with custom lesson plans to integrate into their classrooms this fall.