WorldWide Drilling Resource

Serving the Drilling Industry www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 Need something special? Talk to us - we’ll make it happen faster than you think. Mineral and Mining Education by Bonnie Love, Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® What a joy it is to educate! That’s what I was thinking after my presentation to a couple of environmental science classes at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida. This time, I took a page from the Missouri S&T Miners’ Team for the Move Mining contest. By the way, if you haven’t had the chance to review the submissions, ALL of them are interesting to watch  ( movemining.org ) . In the S&T video, students asked people to rate how much mining impacts their everyday life on a scale of 1-10. Then, the students gave examples of everyday items and the mined products required for their production. The people quickly realized how much they actually needed mining and ultimately, changed their rating. I decided to use the same concept in my presentation. I gave each student a napkin filled with M&Ms and an empty plastic cup. I asked them to rate the impact mining has on their life and place that number of M&Ms in their cup. As we went through the mineral match activity, I asked the stu- dents to add another piece of candy to their cup each time I mentioned something they used on a regular basis. By the end of the presentation, the cups were full, and just for good measure, I reminded them the paper towel, plastic cup, and even the M&Ms used mined products. We then examined the progress of mining, environmental issues, and the high-tech equipment the industry uses. They were amazed to learn about Australia’s automated mine (see Mines of the Future in the April 2018 issue of WWDR ), plans to mine asteroids, and the drilling we are doing on Mars. We also discussed the jobs market. In addition to equipment operators, the industry needs mechanics, environmental and mining engineers, electricians, as well as support staff for safety, accounting, marketing, and human resource needs. I asked them to consider exploring the mining industry when entering the workforce. Everyone seemed to enjoy the presentation. Changing the public’s perception of the mining industry begins with education. The Women In Mining (WIM) organization, with chapters across the country, is working hard to make a difference by educating civic groups, schools, the public, and anyone who will listen, of the vital importance of mining. Want to join us? We are always looking for men and women in the mining industry who are interested in joining our cause. Visit the NEW WIM website womeninmining.us for more information. To learn more about the WIM Education Foundation visit womeninmining.org MIN 43 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JUNE 2018