UGI’s Learning Center Helps Build Stronger Lesson Plans for Educators

UGI’s Learning Center is a natural gas education facility used by more than just UGI employees. Teachers on the front lines of preparing students for careers are now coming to UGI to help bring real-world experience into their classrooms.

Recently, four teachers spent a day at UGI’s Learning Center, as part of the Berks Business Education Coalition’s and the Berks County Intermediate Unit’s summer program for educators. The program is a 3-day learning experience for the teachers, with six business sectors for them to pick from.

“This experience allows educators to think about how they can tailor the instruction to help students gain the skills and knowledge they would need to enter the positions at UGI successfully,” says Tracy Williams, UGI’s Senior Manager of Technical Training.

During their visit, UGI employees demonstrated what is required to deliver safe and reliable service to customers.

“This helps us connect beyond the four walls and to make students aware of career possibilities as well as overall gas safety and understanding,” says Reading School District teacher Nicholas Kubacki.

This up-close look at skills in action is what makes the Learning Center a valuable tool for employees and the public to understand the natural gas industry.

“In my classroom I will share the importance of communication, listening, and that learning is lifelong,” says Reading School District teacher Ryan Oberly.

Other community events held at the Learning Center include tours for State Legislators, Berks First Responders, Tompkins Community Bank, Literacy Council of Reading-Berks, and Valley Energy Training Team, as well as student events with local school districts.

The UGI Utilities Learning Center is a state-of-the-art training complex located on a 40-acre site in Bern Township, Berks County. Completed in the fall of 2021, the Center is anchored by a 47,500-square-foot Training Building. The campus includes a separate 10,500-square-foot welding building, training areas for firefighting instruction, pipe corrosion and protection, backhoe excavation, and two indoor pits to simulate confined-space welding. In addition, a training site known as “Responders Ridge” includes three townhouse-style buildings to help prepare employees on how to deal with various scenarios they may encounter in the field.