5 Ways the Oil and Gas Industry Powers the Classroom

 Every day, the oil and natural gas transported through pipelines enable the educational experiences of students across the country. In every classroom, you can find essential equipment and tools made from petroleum products. Here are just a few examples of how oil and gas fuel education:

1. School Supplies
   Glue, paints, plastics, calculators, and computers all owe their parts to the booming industry.
2. Transportation
   How could you get to school without the bus? Besides the gas in the tank, the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round thanks to rubber tires, which get their start from oil.
3. Lunch Hour
   Maybe the best part of the school day happens in the lunch room. Those trays and utensils are all made via the oil and gas industry, and the ingredients are delivered by truck, which uses gas to power the engine.
4. Funds
   Many states with a healthy oil and gas industry have established funds for education. A good example of this is the Permanent School Fund in Texas. This fund ensures that crude oil and natural gas production from state lands provides some $16.8 billion in an endowment.
5. Jobs
   Once kids graduate from high school or college; the industry is waiting with open arms. In Louisiana alone, the oil and gas industry employees over 45,000 people and pumps over $4 billion in wages into the state’s economy.