The IPRB hosts a professional development summer program for Illinois grades 3-12 science and math teachers. Teachers who attend the program earn 37 ½ professional development hours or 7 1/2 professional development hours and two graduate course credits from Illinois State University. Participating teachers also receive grade-specific lesson plans and a lab/classroom activity kit. The 2023 IPRB Summer Program is scheduled to be held June 27 through June 30 in Mount Vernon.

IPRB is excited to announce that Dr. Scott Tinker will be the featured speaker at this year’s summer program!

Dr. Tinker will make a presentation on the challenges of balancing energy, economic and climate security on Tuesday, June 27.

Dr. Tinker works to bring industry, government, academia and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment and the economy. Dr. Tinker is director of the 250-person Bureau of Economic Geology, the State Geologist of Texas and a professor holding the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. With director Harry Lynch, Tinker co-produced and is featured in the award-winning energy documentary films Switch and Switch On, which have been screened in over 50 countries and used on thousands of campuses worldwide. Dr. Tinker formed and serves as Chairman of the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance, whose materials appear from schools to board rooms globally. Tinker also hosts the PBS series “Energy Switch,” where viewers hear from America’s leading energy experts with differing views from across the energy policy and political spectrum.

To date, 732  teachers from 96 Illinois counties have participated in the IPRB Summer Program.

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The reviews are in — the IPRB Summer Program has been a smash hit with the 732 teachers who have participated in the program over its first 12 years.

Teacher Testimonials

Curriculum Workshop Descriptions

Elementary Petro Sciencew/Common Core Math Component

Professional Development for Illinois Science Teachers


Understand the process of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems as it relates to the Illinois crude oil and natural gas industry. Topics include: Ordered pairs, rock ID, porosity, flow rate of oil, pulleys, oil/water cohesion, crude oil, plastics recycling codes, formation of oil and natural gas, and common core math problems.

Middle School Petro Science

Professional Development for Illinois Science Teachers


Understand the process of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems as it relates to the Illinois crude oil and natural gas industry. Topics include: oil and natural gas formation, microorganisms, sound waves, locating crude oil, reservoirs/production, separation process, safety, petroleum-based products, and energy conservation.


High School Core Energy Science

Professional Development for Illinois Science Teachers


Understand the process of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems as it relates to the Illinois Crude Oil and Natural Gas Industry. Topics include: The structure of hydrocarbons, effects of elevation on flow rate, flow rate of a fluid, fractional distillation, oil recovery methods and the use of biological technology by means of cellular respiration to enhance oil production.

Middle/High School Core Energy Math

Professional Development for Illinois Math Teachers


Understand and utilize Common Core Mathematic standards to define, evaluate and solve real world problems as they relate to the Illinois crude oil and natural gas industry. Topics include: Well site clean-up and restoration, directional and horizontal drilling, finding lease locations, oil and natural gas revenue/expenses, and word problems directly tied to a common core standard.