From the Classroom to Careers: Celebrating National STEM Day

ONEOK supports STEM career education and development across our operating footprint and takes pride in introducing the next generation to STEM skills and training.

In recognition of National STEM Day on Nov. 8, we are celebrating some ways ONEOK encourages curiosity, experimentation and career exploration through STEM activities and investments in the communities where our employees live and work. 

Watford City, Stanley and Williston, ND: Energy Education in Action

In North Dakota, ONEOK joined the T4 Summit to bring hands-on learning sessions to over 600 students and educators. At the Bakken Area Skills Center STEM Day, ONEOK engaged with over 200 students, parents and educators. Both events invited students to explore equipment, ask questions and most importantly, consider a STEM career after graduation.

Bismarck, ND: Supporting Technical Training for Tomorrow's Workforce

Technical education plays an important role in preparing students for the skilled careers that help power local communities and industries. The ONEOK Foundation recently awarded a grant to the Bismarck State College Foundation to expand hands-on technical training opportunities for students. ONEOK's Community Investments and Recruiting teams work together to identify programs like this across our footprint that build awareness of career opportunities in STEM and the skilled trades.  

• Learn more about how ONEOK supports community safety and education.

St. Paul, MN, & Midland, TX: Advancing Energy Literacy Through NEED Workshops

Understanding how energy powers our daily lives begins with education. Through its support of National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project workshops, ONEOK is helping students and educators explore energy concepts through hands-on learning and standards-aligned curriculum.

ONEOK awarded a grant to the NEED Project to deliver educator and student workshops in priority communities and create resources that support energy literacy. The initiative included an educator workshop in St. Paul, MN, and a student-focused workshop in Midland, TX, designed to promote STEM learning, energy literacy and career-connected education.

 

• View the ONEOK Foundation grant guidelines.

Des Moines, IA: Building a STEM Future

At Build My Future, Iowa’s largest hands-on career fair, more than 7,000 students from across the state explored careers spanning manufacturing, welding, IT, construction and other industries. ONEOK employees gave students a closer look at energy careers through interactive activities focused on line locating, pressure monitoring and gas detection. These types of hands-on activities help students connect STEM education with the skills, industries and career opportunities they could pursue after graduation.

Cheyenne, WY: Connecting Classrooms to the Land

ONEOK recently awarded a grant to Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom to support STEM education across the state, including adult learning and workforce development and career technical education. Science-based education focused on agriculture and natural resources help students understand Wyoming's vast resources and become stewards of the state's future. 

Commerce City, CO: Sparking Curiosity Early

ONEOK is committed to supporting STEM in elementary schools, when students are first discovering what interests them, and beyond. At Dupont Elementary School, ONEOK helped to bring interactive, hands-on learning into its classrooms. The project funded tablets and interactive learning equipment that let young students explore STEM concepts hands-on. 

Tulsa, OK: Developing the Next Generation of Energy Leaders

Over 80 interns join ONEOK every year to apply classroom learning in a professional environment in Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota and other ONEOK locations. Interns join ONEOK for the summer to gain exposure to the energy industry and potential career paths. 

Through paid internship experiences, students work alongside experienced field and office employees to build technical and business skills and gain insight into the many career opportunities that support ONEOK's operations. The program helps bridge the gap between education and industry by giving early-career talent hands-on experience and meaningful project work. 

• Learn more about ONEOK internship opportunities.

Dallas, TX: Building Solutions Through STEM

At the ONEOK Dallas office, high school students collaborated with ONEOK engineers to tackle a pipeline design challenge. Working in teams, students designed routes, navigated obstacles and tested their projects with running water, gaining firsthand experience with the kind of problem-solving that engineering requires every day. STEM learning is most powerful when students can put ideas into action.

To further STEM education across Dallas and North Texas, ONEOK supports the Perot Museum’s TECH Truck Program. This mobile education initiative delivers STEM learning experiences to schools, community sites and underserved neighborhoods across North Texas, serving more than 40,000 participants annually.

• Learn how to request volunteers or support for your school or nonprofit.

Houston, TX: Showing Students the Many Faces of STEM

Careers in STEM are not limited to a single job or discipline. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are all part of a wide range of work that supports ONEOK’s operations.

At Scroggins Elementary near ONEOK’s East Houston terminal, employees representing safety, measurement, laboratory work, technicians, operations, security and damage prevention hosted tables and hands-on experiences for 200+ students and their families.

In nearby Mont Belvieu, ONEOK employees brought STEM learning to Fall Fest, an event attended by more than 10,000 people. At the ONEOK booth, visitors explored a hands-on valve and control board activity designed to introduce concepts used in the energy industry and spark interest in engineering and operations careers. 

• View where ONEOK operates.

Investing in Future Possibilities

On National STEM Day, ONEOK celebrates and recognizes the educators, community organizations, employees and volunteers who help create meaningful learning experiences for students every day. Through community investments focused on education and employee volunteerism, ONEOK is proud to support programs in our communities that help students develop foundational skills, explore career pathways and access learning opportunities that can prepare them for future success.