GLENVILLE, WV – The EQT Foundation, the philanthropic extension of EQT Corporation, the nation’s largest producer of natural gas, recently awarded a $20,000 grant to Glenville State University’s Department of Land Resources in order to promote STEM education in West Virginia through its Natural Resource Management High School Program.
As part of the program, Glenville State hosts presentations on career opportunities in forestry, land surveying, environmental science, and energy and land management for high school students in addition to presentations on the applications of geospatial technology in natural resource management. Participating high school students are also connected with Glenville State faculty and undergraduate students for an engaging mentorship program, particularly focused on STEM disciplines in those major programs within Glenville State University’s Department of Land Resources.
The high school students are also encouraged to take geospatial technology and environmental science courses as dual credit courses that satisfy the requirement in STEM-related disciplines in the Associate of Science in Forest Technology and Land Surveying programs, Geographic Information System certificate, and the Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management. The dual enrollment program allows high school students to enroll in dual credit courses as a way to jumpstart their college careers.
“The Department of Land Resources is delighted to partner with the EQT Foundation in promoting the Natural Resource Management program to high schools in West Virginia. This is the second time that the EQT Foundation is supporting this initiative so we can offer more opportunities to many high school students in the entire state. Glenville State, through its Admissions Office, the Office of Off-Campus Programming, and Department of Land Resources, will be recruiting high school students to be part of this project. We will provide selected students with free course tuition, textbooks, and tutoring if they enroll in dual credit courses – in addition to receiving the mentorship support in the six majors under the natural resource management program,” said Dr. Rico Gazal, Chair of the Department of Land Resources at Glenville State University.
“We are thrilled to partner with Glenville State on this innovative program that will expose high school students to education opportunities at the collegiate level in land resources,” said Ellen Rossi, President of the EQT Foundation. “We further hope this program will lead to strengthening the talent pool in our industry and viable career paths for West Virginia residents.”
In 2022 the EQT Foundation awarded more than $3.8 million to nonprofits in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio with a focus on supporting the education and training of children and adults, the development of diverse, livable communities, and preserving natural environments.
For more information about the Land Resources academic programs at Glenville State University, contact the Department of Land Resources at Land.Resources@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6370.
