District 54 teacher selected for Illinois Petroleum Resources Board Study Tour

Posted September 12, 2026 12:16 am

Submitted by Rehana Ghani

Rehana Ghani, a teacher at Keller Junior High School in Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54, was selected to participate in the Illinois Petroleum Resources Board’s Summer Teachers Program, a four-day study tour for Illinois teachers who teach science.

Ghani was the only teacher from District 54 selected for this year’s program. She joined 40 other teachers representing 23 Illinois counties for the 16th annual program, held June 23-26 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

IPRB is a nonprofit organization that educates the public about Illinois’ oil and natural gas production industry and works to restore abandoned oilfield sites.

During the program, teachers toured the CountryMark refinery in Mt. Vernon, Indiana; an active oil production site near Mt. Vernon, Illinois; an active drilling site near Grayville; and the Patoka Terminal Company oil storage facility at the Patoka tank farm.

The teachers also participated in presentations and hands-on learning sessions led by oil industry professionals and academics from the Illinois State Geological Survey. Topics included geology, petroleum engineering, drilling and production, and the legal and land aspects of the industry. Workshops focused on incorporating petroleum-related science and mathematics into Illinois-approved curricula.

Participants earned 37½ hours of professional development and received classroom materials and activities that can be used to teach earth science, geology, petroleum engineering and other petroleum-related topics.

Nearly 900 Illinois teachers from 99 counties have participated in the program since it began in 2010.

Ghani teaches General Studies Intervention at Keller Junior High, working with seventh- and eighth-grade students across multiple subject areas, including science. She will bring what she learned during the study tour back to her classroom and use the experience to enhance her students’ understanding of earth science and the real-world applications of science and engineering.