An innovative way of teaching about energy issues
The SIEU project promoted active learning as a tool for energy education. The concept of SIEU is very valuable as it goes beyond simple awareness raising and actively builds competences amongst the participating students and teachers. Through a hands-on approach students are tasked to come up with energy saving solutions for concrete case studies, e.g. company offices, shops or public buildings. In this way, theoretical knowledge is translated into a wide range of practical and technical skills which are mutually beneficial for the students and the businesses involved. In addition, the SIEU concept encourages participating schools to make strong links with their local business community as case study providers, thus offering students already opportunities for their career development.
Last Thursday, 20th January, ICAEN (Institut Català de l'Energia), The Catalan Energy Agency, visited Escola DEIÀ in Barcelona, where one of the ICAEN experts had a discussion with more than 60 students at the school.
In a chemistry laboratory, a class of sixth grade pupils were coached by our team of students, who demonstrated many experiments which introduced the subject of Climate Change and ways of reducing CO2 emissions into atmosphere.
On 12 November 2010 IVAM gave a presentation of the SIEU project during the final conference of the IUSES project for an audience of well over 125 people. In the presentation the Schools for Sustainability methodology was explained. Also the results of the SIEU mid-term evaluation were shown.
In the Transylvanian region of Romania, students from four vocational schools are currently working on a variety of SIEU school projects. The assignments received by the students from their client organisations cover a wide range of themes. In Târgu Mureş, students from the “Református Kollégium” started to write short articles about energy-saving tips for the “Vásárhelyi Hírlap”, a local newspaper.
