Schools at University for Climate and Energy (SAUCE)
Annette Piening
Svenja Fox
European Commission – EACI
Project partners:
London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
University of Twente, Center for Clean Technology and Environmental Policy, The Netherlands
University of Latvia, Latvia
Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Power Systems and Energy Economics, Energy Economics Group, Austria
Aalborg University, Department of Development and Planning, Denmark
Berlin Energy Agency
Roskilde University, Department for Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Denmark
Project description
The European project “Schools at university for Climate & Energy (SAUCE)” will offer a series of one-week on-campus education programmes for pupils ages 10-13 on the core topics of energy and climate change. For the first time in March 2009, the programmes will discuss the scientific, technical and global aspects of sustainable energy use and climate change in a way appropriate to the childrens’ age. This will also imply, to put these topics in direct perspective to the pupils’ daily lives and lifestyles. Effects, for example, of food production, different means of trans-port, or of leisure time activities will be presented by professors and scientists from different university faculties and research institutes as well as by energy education experts.
The main idea is to enable the pupils to learn about the challenges of climate change and sustainable energy use and, at the same time, acquire the competences necessary to develop and subsequently apply adequate solutions. The specific topics will be imparted to the pupils using interactive, participatory and project-based learning methods which make the knowledge matter palpable. These include quizzes, participatory experiments, and film presentations with discussion rounds, art/theater presentation projects and field trips.
The programmes will be presented at all partner universities once or twice every year during term breaks. Each programme will be accompanied by preparatory information meetings for teachers. Thus, schools and teachers will be integrated in the project work and cooperation and networking with non-formal energy education experts is enhanced. As one project result, a conceptual template will be available, which will present a broad selection of energy and climate education tools and models for a continuous education programme for schools. It will be disseminated to other European universities.