European Challenges in Sustainable Energy Production by Biotechnology Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Challenges in Sustainable Energy Production by Biotechnology

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Energy and resources; Natural sciences; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

Experts predict in the upcoming years an increasing gap between skills learned in school and skills required in the European economy within the young generation. Any strategy aimed at reducing this gap must encourage high school students at the age of 16 to 18 to consider a career in STEM related occupations and to pursue higher levels of study, and it must improve the acquisition of technical skills through highly effective teaching and learning.
The strategic partnership between the 10 partner schools aimed to develop and exchange good practices in the field of sustainable energy production by biotechnology for students at the secondary level. The partnership worked together to produce innovative learning materials for practical experiments in the biotechnological production of bioethanol and biogas. Both energy resources have the great advantage to be a storable energy source. For both production processes we worked out procedures based on a clear understanding of the biological science with the goal of optimizing the product concentration. For schools which lack access to professional-grade fermenters, we also developed a low cost, self-made version of a fermenter. By these means we fostered both the bioscience aspect and the technology aspect of modern biotechnology.
Furthermore, students tried to figure out in an energy workshop how an energy mix which follows the EU Strategy 2020 might be created to meet ethical and sustainability requirements. On the basis of professional knowledge acquired in the project, students are able to evaluate social ethical issues critically with the help of tools we developed together. Those tools try to structure the decision-making process for coming to mature, reflective evaluations of future social questions.

In addition to technical and scientific skills, we intended to develop motivation and self-reliance in the students: These skills are required to bring a complex project to success. Such students will not fail or leave school early. Therefore professional, inter-cultural and above all personal exchange is necessary, and is provided by the learning and experimental workshops described above. All in all, more than 200 transnational mobilities were conducted in this complex project. So the two laboratory workshops as well as the energy workshop combined with an ethical discussion about a sustainable energy mix in Europe in the future were central to the project. The jointly created resources are tested and evaluated through the practical experiments during the two laboratory workshops. In this workshops students and teachers worked together in international teams. They were guided by international teams of educated student mentors through the experiments. The mentors also guided the ethical decision-making process. The evaluated teaching lab modules are implemented in the science lessons and disseminated to teacher lessons in the home countries. In future panel discussions, students will be able to compare the aims of the EU with those of each country and could discuss the results and explain why in different countries the approach to energy sources is different.

The resources will foster the provision and the assessment of key competences including basic skills and transversal skills, in particular project management skills, languages, digital skills and inter cultural competence. The learning outcomes will support the transition from study into employment by giving students essential technical and professional skills required to enter the STEM labour market on each level of qualification. In the short term, students involved in the learning activity (some from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds) gained immediate experience abroad in an academic context, and enhanced their language, practical and transversal skills, thereby improving their prospects for further study and employment.
The project achieved various effects and provides long lasting benefits. All involved students, especially slower-learning students, gained a higher linguistic and technical-language competence, reduced prejudices and practiced tolerance. By communicating via modern media, ICT competences are strengthened. Scientific and technical competences are deepened through mutual learning with the specialists. The schools involved are expected to benefit from enrichment by shared ideas and good practices. Last but not least, the international profile of the schools is raised.
The project results will be in the form of documentation/teaching units and will be made available on the project and schools´ websites and eTwinning platform. Additionally, there will be a range of measures to inform about the project and maintain its long term impact via social media, press releases and teacher workshops. Over the longer term the project is expected to yield improvement in student results, increased retention and more science related higher education and employment destinations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 200455 Eur

Project Coordinator

Johanna-Wittum-Schule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Lycée Léopold Sédar Senghor
• Kollegium Kalksburg
• Gymnazium sv. Frantiska Assiskeho
• Biskupske gymnazium Brno a materska skola
• 9TH GENERAL UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL
• Niels-Stensen-Gymnasium
• Fényi Gyula Jezsuita Gimnázium és Kollégium