Nevada Mining Association hosts annual workshop for educators

Testing magnets against rocks, Kayla Ostler said her sixth graders were less enthusiastic in the 2021-22 school year. She had trouble exciting them during class.
Ostler is a teacher at Battle Mountain Junior High. She traveled to Carson City this week to participate in the Nevada Mining Association’s Mineral Workshop.
She and other teachers took a minerals class on Tuesday, testing rocks and learning about the valuable minerals found in everyday household products.
“That’s what it feels like to be a student. … Give me something to look at or hold or taste or feel,” she said. “That’s why I like this – it’s like, how do I apply it now? That’s what they want.
It’s the 37^e consecutive year that NVMA has held the free summer school for educators, helping them earn education credit.
Drew McGregor, outreach manager for NVMA, says the goal of the program is to paint a better picture of what modern mining looks like.
“It’s not just about old guys with beards and pickaxes anymore. It’s a very STEM-oriented and lucrative career,” he said.
Ostler hopes the material she gathers from the NVMA summer program engages her students next school year.
“I want to know more so I can help (my students) get excited about it,” she said.