Education and Workforce Development

Empowering the Next Generation: Hope Gas invests in West Virginia’s future

West Virginia is rich with personal, professional, and economic growth opportunities, and Hope Gas is working to ensure that our next generation is not only aware of these opportunities but also knows they’re the key to building a future right here in the Mountain State.

To make that vision a reality, we established an initiative called “Keep Our Kids in West Virginia.” We’re measuring our success by the number of doors we open to our youth to achieve family-sustaining careers in West Virginia.

“Keep Our Kids in West Virginia” creates internship and mentorship opportunities at Hope Gas, allowing the next generation to explore the wide range of careers available in the natural gas industry, whether they want to attend college or a technical school or enter the workforce right out of high school. It’s a roadmap for success right here in their home state.

Educational and Business Partnerships:

We also invest in youth outside of Hope Gas operations. We partner with the statewide nonprofit Education Alliance to encourage schools and individual businesses to work together to prepare today's students for tomorrow's evolving job landscape. The alliance is a perfect partner, advocating for quality education for all students while mobilizing business and community partnerships that equip West Virginia's students for success.

Our collaboration—the Hope for the Future: WV School/Business Partnership of the Year Awards Program—encourages and recognizes those exemplary partnerships that provide unique learning opportunities and put our students a step ahead in academic success and career preparation. The award is given to eight regional partnerships, each earning a $2,000 Celebration Grant, with one statewide winner receiving an award package valued at $25,000. The 2025 statewide winner selected from 75 school and business partnerships in the state was Pocahontas County Schools’ partnership with Nature’s Mountain Classroom. 

This grassroots partnership combines academic concepts with hands-on skill learning. Every student in Pocahontas County is given the opportunity to explore immersive learning through a Nature’s Mountain Classroom program called Adventure Pocahontas. The curriculum focuses on storybook-based playground adventures for the youngest students; skiing, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and overnight camping for middle schoolers; and career exploration and leadership skill building for high school students. In this way students prepare for careers in West Virginia's legendary outdoor and recreational industries while building valuable academic skills.

School/business partnerships fall under one of the following categories, from expanding academic abilities to career exploration to mentoring programs:

• Academic (reading, math, financial literacy, etc.)
• Career exploration (speaker presentations, tours)
• Career readiness (internships, work-based learning)
• School strategic plan/advisory participation partnerships
• Social/emotional (mentoring)

Hope Gas participates in and cosponsors the effort. We partner with the Monongalia County Technical Education Center to provide paid summer internships for high school students so they can gain safety training and field experiences and undertake a capstone project. These programs expand post-secondary opportunities by supplementing instruction with real-world experiences.  

Here is the complete list of 2025 Hope for the Future: WV School/Business Partnership of the Year Awards Program Regional Winners:

Hope Gas wants to make sure that the next generation can build on the history of West Virginian know-how and lead the nation forward. That’s why we’re committed to supporting the important work of organizations that offer kids opportunities to achieve their fullest educational, career, and life potential right here in the Mountain State.