The Mobile Energy Learning Unit (MELU) kicked off its 2023 New Mexico tour this week, February 27th through March 3rd in Carlsbad, where the traveling unit of energy-related activities for students grades 5-8 will once again be in the Permian Basin. Almost 500 students in Carlsbad will participate throughout the week learning more about the industry and how critical the Permian Basin is to the world. The MELU will travel to Artesia the following week, March 6th through 10th, to host nearly 400 students in 7th grade. It will make its way back to Carlsbad for a stint at Southeast New Mexico College as students in the homeschool programs make their way through the MELU. Loving ISD has  also expressed interest in having their students access it.

Coterra invites anyone to stop by Eddy Center (700 W. Stevens St., Carlsbad, NM, 88220) to see the MELU and students in action. There will be several sessions a day, starting at 8:30 am MT until 3:00 pm MT each day except Wednesday and Friday, which will only have morning sessions.

BACKGROUND: The MELU (formerly, the Mobile Oil Learning Unit) has traveled to hundreds of locations across the Permian and Appalachian Basins. It offers students in grades 5th through 8th the chance to learn about STEM concepts, energy careers, and industry-specific topics such as viscosity, drilling, permeability, and more. Typically, the MELU is set up at school gyms or common areas and can accommodate up to 200 students in one day. Another interesting element to the MOLU is the baseline testing performed before and after students pass through the exhibit. Data shows that students achieve 50% higher scores on the post tests. Please visit the Energy Education Fund to learn more about the MOLU.

Coterra utilized its relationship with the Energy Education Foundation (EEF) to bring the MOLU once again to the Permian starting in New Mexico. All local school districts are invited, as well as Region 18 Education Services and the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP). 

It is critical that Coterra is seen as an influential leader in the educational development space in our areas of operation. By doing so, we can encourage the professional growth and development of our current employees and create new opportunities for the younger generation. Twenty-one percent of the funds we contribute to the PSP go directly towards education initiatives. When we facilitate initiatives like the MOLU, we’re going above and beyond our PSP investment to create unmatched experiences that enriches the community.

Coterra and API (American Petroleum Institute), in partnership with the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and Carlsbad Schools, will host a Community Appreciation evening on Wednesday, March 1st from 4:00 to 5:30 pm MT at the Lucky Bull Grill in a come and go happy hour to thank Carlsbad educators and administrators for kicking off the 2023 New Mexico MELU tour. Community stakeholders and Coterra employees are invited to attend and learn even more about this resource highlighting the industry beginning early in a student’s educational pathway.

If you have any questions or are interested in bringing the MELU to your school, please reach out to Becca Myers, becca.myers@coterra.com, or 432-557-0988.

Becca Myers

Becca is the External Affairs Specialist at Coterra Energy. She coordinates many different community events across the Permian Basin.

Prior to her position at Coterra Energy, Becca worked as the Project Development Manager at the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin. She received a B.A. in International Relations, Spanish, and Political Science from Texas Tech University and a Master’s Degree in Applied Research Psychology from The University of Texas Permian Basin.