Over the last two school years, the educational programme Energy and Climate Pioneers 2.0 has reached over 480 classes in German- and French-speaking Switzerland – more than 8800 pupils overall. Every class that subsequently carried out an environmental project and uploaded it to the Energy and Climate Pioneers website was entered in the competition. As well as the main prize, five participating classes received climate game sets (e.g. an escape game with a climate change theme).
The Energy and Climate Pioneers 2.0 school programme
The education programme for schools, Energy and Climate Pioneers 2.0, offers pupils in grades 5 to 9 an opportunity to tackle issues around energy and climate with a hands-on, solution-oriented approach. The focus is on playful input and project work that revolves around the question: “what do I want my world to look like?”. Over the course of the project, pupils are introduced to solutions for a climate-friendly future, and get to help define alternatives. Starting in November, the programme will also be available for primary grades 3 and 4; an age-appropriate version in the works.
“We want to guide participating pupils to creative solutions for greater climate protection and positive energy in the school environment. Every teacher, regardless of background knowledge, can bring their individual strengths and ideas to the project work. Through tangible results, the children are motivated to make use of the actual scope that they have for shaping their future,” says Astrid Suter, teacher of the winning class.
Train the trainer
As well as direct interaction with the classes, schools that participate in the programme also benefit from teacher training on solution-oriented climate education and the way that education relates to sustainable development. A year ago a learning platform also went online; this guides participants through six sections based on their interests, with the goal of graduating as a climate professional.
It would be impossible to implement the Energy and Climate Pioneers 2.0 programme without the financial support and expertise of our external partners. myclimate would like to thank the following for their valuable financial support: EnergieSchweiz, Aldi Suisse AG, UBS AG, Stiftung 3FO, Gemeinnütziger Fonds des Lotteriefonds Kanton Zürich, Kulturförderung Kanton St. Gallen, HUBER+SUHNER Stiftung, Dienststelle Volksschulbildung Kanton Luzern.
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