EMPCo brings the Tapia Center Carbon Capture Program to Ascension Parish Educators and Southern University STEM Camp

The award-winning Tapia Center with support from ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMPCo) was able to bring the STEM curriculum experience, featuring a carbon capture and storage (CCS) exercise, to Ascension Parish educators in June. Hear firsthand from participating students in the videos below.  

At Southern University in Baton Rouge (SUBR), more than 115 students spent the week learning about carbon and carbon management through hands-on project-based learning, team building and problem solving. As part of a camper competition judged by ExxonMobil and Denbury employees, students built reservoirs that displaced water and vegetable oil to simulate the behavior of carbon dioxide in a supercritical phase. SUBR campers also toured the Baton Rouge Refinery and Chemical Plant and heard from Dr. Richard Tapia, a National Medal of Science recipient, who spoke virtually about how he integrated mathematics into his daily life and reinforced his message that “STEM is for everyone.” In May, teachers participated in a teacher training to prepare for this experience.

In describing the camp, Southern University President-Chancellor Dennis Shields told the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, “Our goal is to encourage curiosity and ambition in the hearts of tomorrow’s STEM professionals. With gratitude to our committed faculty, we foster excellence in education not only for our collegiate scholars but also for the budding minds of our community through initiatives like this camp.”

Many local leaders attended the camp at Southern University including Louisiana State Representatives Barbara Freiberg, Vanessa LaFleur, and Edmond Jordan; Southern University President Dennis Shields, Lealon Martin, Dean of Southern University; Louisiana State Senator Cleo Fields; Stephen Swiber, Energy Policy Advisor for the Louisiana Governor’s Office; Chauna Banks, Baton Rouge Councilmember; Trina Carolina Hall, City of Baton Rouge; and Carla Powell-Lewis, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.

More than 1,500 students and teachers are participating in the EM-sponsored Tapia STEM CCS camps in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas this summer – many of whom are from underserved and underrepresented communities. The Tapia STEM CCS camps aim to inspire and empower future leaders, while building our capacity to meaningfully engage in all communities and support a future that is reflective of community voices and solutions.