Environmental research

Justification The project is based on the idea that children are important citizens and can take an active part in their own education rather than be passive receivers of information and knowledge. The project supports the learning-by-doing pedagogical approach. The engagement and involvement of the children is ensured through hands-on experiences to which they can relate. It is important to encourage children to play, create, and experiment together and on their own. The idea is that the pupils learn more and the knowledge is retained longer if they experience things first hand and find research fun. Using this approach, the teacher becomes a guide at their side rather than a sage on the stage an approach that is supported by many materials and ideas for teachers and pupils. Through the energy monitoring of the school building, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change will be reduced. Through the active learning approach the children are involved in their own education. Through enlargement of the extracurricular activities pupils, have access to up-to-date knowledge and skills in environmental protection Location Bulgaria Project Target Groups Pupils from 1st through 6th grade; Teachers; Parents Goal and expected impacts Behavioural change in the pupils from 1st through 6th grade, leading to CO2 emission reduction by 5 500 tons per year Increased knowledge and behavioural change of pupils and, indirectly, of their parents and teachers, with respect to energy, transport and RES EE, RES and climate change e-learning in 30 schools Energy and CO2 emission savings ( 1 000 t) in 30 school buildings through energy monitoring Energy and CO2 emission savings ( 4 500 t) in 3000 households through energy home monitoring Energy and CO2 emission savings through alternative modes of transport from home to school and back Increasing in energy efficiency in pupils homes Integration of eco-energy education into the curriculum in Bulgaria Objectives and expected results Reduce energy use in school buildings and homes by teaching children RUE & RES through hands-on and experimental activities Major activities The project stipulates weekly energy monitoring of the school building. The data collected will be plotted on posters as well as uploaded on the Web Site www.sustain.no. The educational materials (teacher s book, student s book, posters, tables and others) will be printed. Training for teachers will be carried out. The educational materials cover 26 activities in the main fields of energy consumption energy monitoring, appliances, transport, lighting, space heating and cooling, and hot and cold water. Sustainability A survey carried out by the European Sustainable Energy Education Forum shows that the greatest influence on building character and behavioural change can be achieved in pupils in grades 1 4. The teaching materials will be available through the Internet. The project forms practical skills in the students that they will need in the future. The project builds on a strategy of energy monitoring and EE activities to be integrated into the existing curriculum. This creates an opportunity for multiplication of the activities in different subjects. The activities are based on good European practices, which guarantees its sustainability Sustainability is guaranteed by agreements on energy education signed the support of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of the Environment and Waters, and the National Energy Efficiency Agency Project Budget total, from GEF SGP, financial, in-kind - all in Bulgarian leva and percent of total The total budget of the project is 135 110 lv.; the amount of help required from GEF is 67 370 lv. (50 %). Co-funding will be ensured by the project.

Bulgaria