And it made kliQ!

And it made kliQ!

A review and restart of climate protection activities at schools in Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Many pupils and teachers from the Berlin district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf have long been committed to climate protection. Together with UfU, schools in Steglitz-Zehlendorf have been supported in their efforts to save energy since 1999. At the same time, the consequences of the climate crisis have become increasingly clear. The flood disaster in the Ahr valley has made it clear to even the last of us that unchecked_CO2 emissions come at a high price.

After the pandemic, the first attempts to develop new climate protection projects at schools began again with the district. However, the district administration lacked the necessary staff and there was skepticism as to whether the schools would be able to take action again after coronavirus. Wolfgang Schwarz from the ESD Center and committed teachers who care about educating their pupils about climate protection turned to UfU to find new approaches. For its part, UfU contacted the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment with a request for support. Meanwhile, the first dark clouds of a new war in Europe were gathering on the horizon.

A module for the area of education and schools was docked onto an ongoing “climate-friendly neighborhood (kliQ)” project in the area between Krumme Lanke, Onkel Toms Hütte and Oskar-Helene-Heim. The project module was designed and submitted to the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment for funding.

7 schools with very different profiles were quickly found: From Zinnowwald Primary School to Biesalski Special School, Wilma Rudolph Secondary School and Peter-Lenne Secondary School. Quentin Blake Primary School, Schadow Grammar School and Droste Hülshoff Grammar School also took part.

Like all of our energy-saving projects at schools, this project also has a high practical component so that young people can contribute to saving energy and protecting the climate. Classrooms were fogged with fog machines to understand energy-saving and pandemic-compatible ventilation behavior. Air temperatures were measured so that not a single cubic meter of natural gas was wasted. Thermal imaging cameras were used to identify the weak points in the building envelopes. A competition/challenge was launched at the Wilma Rudolph School to see which group could build the most effective thermal insulation around a shoe box. To understand electricity consumption, the power consumption of electrical appliances was measured and the calculated power was used as mechanical power with a bicycle. Light switches were marked so that the window row of lamps could be switched off early.

At the end, the numerous energy-saving tips were recorded on posters and displayed in the schools to make the tips visible throughout the school. In recognition of their commitment, the most active groups were invited to a bicycle cinema. Funny or exciting short films were shown in a sports hall or auditorium. The electricity for this was generated by 10 pupils at a time on bicycles with generators.

In the meantime, the schools have started to make plans for the 2023/24 school year. The aim is to achieve and document real savings in the schools. The district must be brought on board for this. After working successfully with the schools for six months, we have now been able to show that there is hardly anything more meaningful than getting pupils excited about climate protection. With funding from the Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Program (BEK 2023) and the district, we can expand the project in the new school year.

What helped us with the implementation:

1. To be specific: climate protection and energy saving could be experienced in practice using the example of their own school – this was very motivating for the pupils.
2. Climate protection as a competition and experiment: the starting points are the pupils’ interest, curiosity and perception. Creativity is the key to success.
3. Persistence: After the difficulties of our work due to the pandemic, we needed perseverance to overcome setbacks and find new paths to success.
4. Committed teachers who uphold climate protection and want to inspire pupils for a good cause.