LEARN RELEARN UNLEARN THE RENEWABLES

<< Background >>It was our belief that sustainable development was key to the future of our school and educational community that led us to apply for this European Strategic Partnership programme. In particular, we identified key needs in the school in relation to environmental awareness, the transition to renewable energy and practical sustainability education. These needs included a lack of resources to effectively teach about clean energy, the need to integrate sustainable solutions into the school's infrastructure, and opportunities to foster international collaboration on global challenges such as climate change.We focused the project on solar energy and how it could help address these needs. This enabled the installation of practical resources such as solar panels, the promotion of more sustainable infrastructure, the development of a curriculum, teaching units, etc. It also enhanced active learning by providing students and teachers with tools to understand and apply clean energy solutions in STEM projects. This project was a crucial step in transforming our school into a sustainable model with a lasting impact on the educational community.<< Objectives >>This project aimed to promote key competences in sustainability and renewable energy in school education, focusing on students aged 10-14 and their teachers. Our aim was to develop an innovative course on solar thermal energy, combining theory, practice and adaptable digital tools.Our specific goals comprised To increase knowledge about climate change and renewable energy, especially in the school environment where these topics are underrepresented.Develop students' STEM, project planning and stakeholder engagement skills.Create high quality educational resources. These include a comprehensive curriculum, learning units, an online process guide and a solar planning tool.Promote the active participation of school communities, teachers and families in the energy transition.Foster transnational cooperation, sharing approaches and resources at European level to address global energy challenges.The ultimate goal was to empower young people as active citizens, ready to contribute to sustainable development and a cleaner and more efficient energy future.<< Implementation >>Several key activities were carried out to achieve the proposed objectives. Firstly, 6 face-to-face transnational meetings and 16 virtual meetings were held to coordinate and evaluate progress. Of particular note was the installation of a pilot solar plant in Spain, which served as a practical example of renewable energy.In addition, six main outputs were designed and produced, including a solar thermal curriculum, theoretical and practical materials, a map-based planning tool to identify the best installation sites and an online process manual to guide the step-by-step implementation of solar projects. A school competition was also launched to reward the best projects and encourage STEAM-based participation.Three multiplier events were held in Spain, Iceland and Latvia to disseminate the results, and 60 newsletters were published. These activities ensure not only effective implementation, but also long-term sustainability and impact of the project. All this is reflected on our website https://infinityc.gr/learnrelearn.eu/<< Results >>During the development of the project, several concrete outputs and other impacts were realised in line with the objectives of promoting sustainability and renewable energy education, namely Curriculum development: A comprehensive solar thermal curriculum for students aged 10-14, adaptable to different time frames and school subjects.Learning modules: Theoretical units on the principles of renewable energy with a focus on solar thermal energy.Practical units that allow students to design and build a working solar thermal power plant.Digital tools: An online process manual with a step-by-step guide to implementing solar projects.A solar thermal planning tool based on maps to identify the best installation sites.Solar Installations: A solar thermal pilot plant implemented in a school in Spain. School competition: A system to recognise and encourage excellence in solar energy projects in schools.Other resultsCapacity building: Improved STEM, project management and sustainability skills of participating students and teachers.Community Involvement: Active involvement of parents, local authorities and other stakeholders, fostering collaboration and ownership at the multiplier events in Spain, Iceland and Latvia.Dissemination and awareness raising:Three dissemination events in Spain, Iceland and Latvia.Sixty newsletters published to share progress and results.Thirty online dissemination conferences between members of participating institutions. Transnational cooperation: Strengthened partnerships between participating countries, fostering the exchange of knowledge and practices during transnational meetings, creating a solid basis for future renewable energy education initiatives and inspiring their adoption in other schools and regions.These outcomes not only met the project's objectives, but also laid the foundations for a lasting impact on renewable energy education in Europe.