Energy course
Energy course
"Energy trail north-west" opened
Unique project in Germany offers excursions for schoolchildren to energy sites in the north-west
Didactically designed excursions to biogas or wind power plants, energy research laboratories and other energy sites in the northwest region - this is what the "Energy Trail Northwest", which was officially opened at the University of Oldenburg on 27 May 2011, offers. Dietmar Schütz, President of the German Renewable Energy Federation, was one of the speakers at the ceremony.
The "Energy Trail Northwest" is an initiative of the interdisciplinary project "Education for Sustainable Energy Supply and Utilisation" at the University of Oldenburg, which developed the trail in close co-operation with the regional education network "Climate & Energy" of the City of Oldenburg
The Bremen/Oldenburg metropolitan region has been focussing on crisis-proof and future-oriented renewable energies for years. "The Northwest Energy Trail offers young people an excellent opportunity to network and find out about companies in the sector," explained Schütz.
The aim of the course is to provide pupils with insights into the energy sector, to teach them the theoretical basics in a clear and authentic way and to inform them about job profiles and career opportunities in the field of renewable energies. In close cooperation with the individual energy locations, the university's didactics department develops subject and grade level-specific programmes that are linked to the curriculum of the school subjects of general studies, biology, physics, chemistry, computing science and mathematics. They range from educational trails and company study visits to expert lectures and discussion rounds to topic-specific experimental programmes.
Energy education is not yet firmly anchored in school curricula. "The university's subject didactics departments provide significant impetus here and carry out important scientific development work, which has now resulted in the 'Energy Course Northwest'. It speaks for the high quality of our teacher training that student teachers are actively involved in the development and accompanying research," says Prof Dr Katharina Al-Shamery, Vice President for Research.
Teachers can use the web portal "Energieparcours-Nordwest.de" to book excursions on topics such as "Water, heat and energy in a leisure pool", "How does a passive house work?" or "Future professions on the rise - a tour of a wind turbine".