Don’t Be Fuelish! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Don’t Be Fuelish!

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Energy and resources; Environment and climate change; Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers

Project Summary

Context and objectives:
A major priority of this project “Don’t be fuelish” was to narrow the gap between education and choices made by students and their families in their daily lives. This project incorporated all aspects of energy production, consumption, saving and regulations into a wide range of subjects and curricula in schools. By doing so, our students became aware of the impact of energy consumption on life on earth in the context of energy depletion and the high level of pollution created by fossil sources; this project formed a new, realistic conception on finding ways to reduce the current energy consumption and also investigated efficient and non-pollutant alternative sources of energy.

In this project, the activities to achieve these goals were divided into four themes:
1. Local, non-sustainable energy production methods
2. Alternative, sustainable energy production methods
3. Reduce our own energy consumption
4. Nuclear energy production: past or future?

Participants:
Mosa-RT (Belgium), Klaipeda Baltija gymnasium (Lithuania), Liceul Tehnologic PETROL (Romania), Escola Secundária Vitorino Nemésio (Portugal)
Project leaders: Maarten Hermans (Belgium), Lina Lorenzo Ruiz (Lithania), Anghelina Raluca Andreea (Romania) and Maria Cristina Codorniz (Portugal)
24 subject teachers (6 from each school)
120 students from the participating schools (both general and vocational studies)
24 students aged between 16 and 18 on transnational learning activities

Activities
1. Local, non-sustainable energy production methods
This activity allowed individual school partners to delve deeper into the non-sustainable energy production methods of their own region and forms the foundation of the entire project.
2. Alternative, sustainable energy production methods
In this theme, alternative energy production methods suitable for the local environment of each partner were identified. Also, students found out that they, as consumers, can influence companies to switch to these more sustainable methods.
3. Reduce our own energy consumption
This theme delved deeper in the data concerning energy consumption in Europe, and made comparisons between the four partner schools and countries, but also to the European average. With some small adjustments to our schools and homes, a positive influence on climate change and a reduction of the amount of energy consumed was established. Students investigated ways to reduce their own energy consumption, both at school and at home, and tried to get the general public and the other partners to implement these tips in everyday (school) life.
4. Nuclear energy production: past or future?
In the past few years, the term “nuclear energy production” has developed a bad undertone, due to several disasters. However, studies suggest that the general public does not know what nuclear power entails. Students were invited to study this way of energy production in a scientific way and found out whether or not this could be the answer to modern day problems such as climate change, nuclear waste, higher energy consumption all over the world, etc. The main goal of this section was not to promote nuclear power, but simply to inform students and the general public in an objective manner, so they are be able to form an opinion based on facts and not feelings.

Methodology:
All of our activities were implemented by a wide range of innovative teaching methods both in and outside of school, incorporating: Critical thinking, digital competence, collaboration and teamwork, communication skills, personal and social responsibility and metacognition.

Results:
– Increased participation among young people in society.
– Students, their families and teachers gained a more environmentally friendly lifestyle by being critical of how their energy is produced
– Reduced energy consumption both at home and at school
– Enabling young people to explore the possibility of influencing local, national and European policies and decision making processes concerning energy production
– Empowering young people while at the same time teaching them the skills of dialogue, compromise and diplomacy when working with external stakeholders.
– Providing an active contribution to social capital through the promotion of renewable energy sources which boasts of quality and cost effectiveness.

Long term benefits:
The paramount resource in maintaining our findings are the participating students themselves; in other words, a human resource. At the heart of this project was the element of empowering young people and confirming their role in society. They now have gained a greater understanding of the energy market from a European perspective and are able to implement their new-found knowledge by choosing a “green” energy provider for their households and at the same time minimise their energy consumption both at home and at school.

Project Website

http://www.facebook.com/DBFerasmus

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 85150 Eur

Project Coordinator

Mosa-RT College Heilig Kruis – Sint-Ursula B & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Escola Secundária Vitorino Nemésio
• Klaipeda Baltija gymnasium
• Liceul Tehnologic PETROL