GRANVILLE, Ohio — The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program and The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Foundation announced they have awarded $1,000 scholarships to 32 students pursuing a career in the natural gas and oil industry.

The 2022 class is diversely represented by individuals across 22 Ohio counties, 15 institutions of higher education, and covering 20 different majors.

Since 2007, Ohio’s natural gas and oil industry has awarded 599 scholarships to 342 students totaling $599,000. Recipients are vetted to ensure they possess the skills and credentials to obtain an education that will support a fulfilling career.

Applicants are screened for essay writing, academic achievements, letters of recommendation, career choice and other special recognitions.

“The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Foundation has helped hundreds of Ohioans pursue trade programs and higher education,” said George Brown, Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program executive director. “These scholarship recipients are a prominent group of students, and we are excited to see the contributions they will make to the industry and our state.”

Scholarships are awarded to students interested in obtaining training certifications and associates or bachelors degrees in relevant fields of study. Post graduate job opportunities include exciting careers such as welder, petroleum engineer, geologist, construction technician and more.

To qualify, students complete an application process and must be an Ohio resident or plan to attend an accredited Ohio institution of higher education. The $1,000 annual scholarship may be renewed with a total of four years of potential eligibility.

The local scholarship recipients are Noah Brown and Preston Zink of St. Clairsville.

A full list of 2022 scholarship winners and more information on the scholarship opportunity is available at oogeep.org/teacher-students/scholarships/.

In addition to the scholarship awards, which support students pursuing higher education and vocational training, OOGEEP also supports students in the classroom through teacher education workshops.

The 2022 teacher workshops featured revamped content thanks to a generous grant from the EQT Foundation. These workshops are focused on geology and STEM content, and provide teachers with information and materials to connect classroom learning to real world applications.

Fifty-nine teachers from 25 different Ohio counties participated this year.