The Valley View Intermediate School is pleased to be the first school in Lackawanna County to host the Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit, also known as the MOLU, for its 4th grade students. The visit to Valley View, sponsored by Southwestern Energy, is part of an effort to introduce the MOLU to Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia schools.

The MOLU is a traveling exhibition run by the Oilfield Energy Center that teaches students about science, technology, and other topics related to the oil and natural gas industry. During the visit, Valley View students will walk through the hands-on, educational activities of the MOLU to learn about these topics.

Superintendent, Dr. Rose Minniti stated, “We are very pleased to be the first in the area to provide this unique opportunity to our students”.

While walking through the MOLU, students learn about geology, engineering, physics, chemistry, history, environmental studies, and more. The MOLU also shows students how oil and natural gas are a part of products in their everyday lives while hands-on activities peak their interest and keep them engaged. The MOLU activities correlate with Next Generation National Science Standards and are based around the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects.

The MOLU’s six mobile units are comprised of four stations each, making 24 educational activities available for students. Students travel around in pairs, spending a few minutes at each station learning, filling out accompanying worksheets, and exploring the hands-on materials – like a robotic arm and a microscope. Each session is around 90 minutes long, with pre- and post- visit materials provided.

WHEN:    Thursday, May 9th

WHERE:  Valley View Intermediate School, 3 Columbus Drive, Archbald, PA  18403