"Instigating Simple Energy Efficiency Behavioural Practices in Schools"
Flick the Switch Closing Ceremony
Flick is very pleased to announce that the Flick the Switch Closing Ceremony, which took place in Rakvere, Estonia on the 21st May 2010, was not only a resounding success but has also been recognised as an „Energy Day‟ of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign.
The Flick the Switch closing ceremony took place in May, in Estonia and was co-hosted by project partners Rakvere Gümnaasium and Rakvere City Government. Guests included regional school representatives from all over Europe, Rakvere City‟s Mayor and Vice Mayor, Mr R. Vassilijev and Mr. Ain Suurkaev, respectively. The following key note speakers, Ms. Ü Kikas, Councilor of the Ministry of Education, Ms. U. Stamp, a representative from Tallinna Saksa Gümnaasium and Energy expert Mr. Mikki Saar of Eesti Energia, a leading Estonian energy company were also present. They were all joined by Flick the Switch project partners and students and teachers from host school, Rakvere Gümnaasium.
The objective of this event was to mark the official closing of the Flick the Switch European campaign, which ran from October 2009 to the end of April 2010. It was also an opportunity to honour and award the
most active and energy conscious schools during the campaign. This excellent platform not only showcased the success of the campaign, but also
offered all attendees a unique perspective on the Flick the Switch energy saving message. This was combined with a display of Estonian culture and humour through inspiring performances from the students of Rakvere Gümnaasium (pictures left and below). What wonderfully talented students!
The presence of students throughout the ceremony served as a reminder of the important role schools and their students play in saving energy. They also expressed their desire for the Flick the Switch campaign message to continue being embraced in the future.
Attendees had a chance to view all regional winning posters, which were exhibited at Rakvere Gümnaasium. During the course of the ceremony, the European winners were announced as follows: 5 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
Primary School Category:
Mihai Eminescu National College, Bucharest, Romania. The winning poster (previous page) was designed by Daria Anamarie Dobre, aged 7 and submitted by her teacher Florentina Chifu.
Secondary School Category:
Scoala Duiliu Zamfirescu, Focsani in Romania. The winning poster (right) was designed by Michaela Dima aged 14 years old, and was submitted by her teacher Mariana Pavel.
Both schools have been awarded Flick the Switch trophies and certificates.
More information about the regional finalists can be found at the following link:
http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=8&Itemid=122
This was followed by the presentation of the eagerly awaited Flick the Switch School Champions award. First, representatives from all regional winning schools were awarded certificates and colourful official Flick the Switch flags displaying the Flick logo.
Then, amid great suspense, the overall European winners were announced as follows:
Primary School Category:
St Francis Primary School, Cospicua, Malta. Teacher: Lydia Gauci.
The following is a link to a presentation from school champion St Francis Primary School:
http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/files/Winning%20schools/FTS%20Exhibition_St%20Francis%20Primary%20School_MT.pdf
Secondary School Category:
Vilnius „Minties‟ Secondary School, Vilnius, Lithuania. Teachers: Asta Malinauskaitè and Džiuljeta Jonikienè.
The following link is a presentation from Vilnius „Minties‟ Secondary School: http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/files/Flick%20Schools%20Presentations/Flick%20the%20Switch%20at%20Vilnius%20Minties%20gymnasium_LT.pdf
Both winning schools were presented with a Flick the Switch School Champions plaque and winner‟s certificates.
The following is a link to where you can view all trophies and awards presented to Flick the Switch champions and poster competition winners: http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/files/Winning%20schools/FTS%20Trophies%20and%20Awards_Teachers%20Section.pdf
Flick even made a special guest appearance and was on hand to entertain the audience. 6 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
Flick the Switch would like to congratulate all winning schools for their efforts and encourage them to continue saving energy. Flick the Switch would also like to thank both Ms. Maie Podramagi and Mr. Ain Suurkaev for organising this
memorable event and for providing a welcoming atmosphere and a unique taste of Estonian culture. Special mention should also go to the students of Rakvere Gümnaasium for their talented and highly entertaining performances during the ceremony. 7 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
St. Francis Primary School in Cospicua, Malta won the Flick the Switch Champions competition at primary school level.
St. Francis School was awarded the title of Flick the Switch Champion in the primary school category during the official campaign closing ceremony. Their achievements in organising activities related to energy saving and teaching their pupils to switch off lights and electrical devices made them clear winners.
Two schools from Malta were Flick the Switch regional finalists, namely St. Francis School and Kullegg San Benedittu Sekondarja Subien Kirkop. Both schools were present at the official closing ceremony. They were both awarded for their achievements towards energy efficiency with the official Flick the Switch regional flag.
After giving out the awards to the regional finalists, St. Francis School was also awarded the Flick the Switch School Champion award at primary school level. The school received the official Flick the Switch winner‟s plaque to honour their outstanding achievements during the campaign. Besides getting involved in a large number of energy saving activities, St. Francis School also prepared a Flick the Switch colouring booklet, energy related dialogues in language classes, a Flick board game, bookmarks, the Flick the Switch song: „Together we can save the world‟, a check-list for a student energy audit, as well as various exhibitions, excursions and public discussions for parents and students.
Head of School, Sr. Claudia Zammit, said: "Being aware of global warming and the urgent need to reduce our energy requirements for our children‟s future, our school decided to participate in this campaign. All staff and students did their best to organise various energy related activities during this scholastic year."
On 18 June 2010, St. Francis School organised a School Open Day to celebrate receiving the Flick the Switch Champions award. The students‟ work, models and other campaign materials were exhibited at the event. The Maltese Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, Hon. George Pullicino, was also present during this event and congratulated all students and teachers for their outstanding achievements related to saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions.
The Flick the Switch campaign was embraced in Malta, with more than 65 schools and over 12,000 students getting involved. The Maltese campaign was supported by local campaign organisers, Projects in Motion and Ekosk. 8 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
Vilnius „MINTIES‟ Gymnasium from Lithuania won the Flick the Switch Champions competition at Secondary level.
Project coordinator at „Minties‟ Gymnasium, Dziuljeta Jonikiene, tells us about the efforts that took place at the school.
"The students at Vilnius „Minties‟ Gymnasium joined the Flick the Switch campaign in December 2009. Our enrolment in the initiative was prompted by the goal of the project itself, which at first glance seems very simple - to get students into the habit of turning off lights and electrical appliances when not in use.
During the project, the students were not only saving energy but were also searching for information on efficient ways of saving energy, energy-saving devices, economic bulbs and alternative energy sources (wind, solar, hydro). The students became better informed about the negative consequences of excessive power wastage, addressed such issues as the impact of light pollution and smog on wildlife and then shared this knowledge with others.
I am delighted that our students did not stay indifferent to the issue of energy saving. Educational and short feature films which were produced by the students themselves proved this. Students also created posters and drawings reflecting the idea that it is worth saving the earth, not only for ourselves but also for others.
The students have accomplished a lot during the project. Overall, 70 PowerPoint reports were created and delivered (organised by D. Jonikienė), 18 short films were presented (organised by D. Jonikienė and V. Spundzevičienė), more than 80 drawings and posters were painted (organised by L. Varnas), B. Miglė held a photo exhibition (organised by V. Spundzevičienė) and two students participated in online debates (organised by A. Malinauskaitė).
The students acknowledged the benefits gained from the project work. They have acquired new knowledge and perceived not only the financial value of energy saving but also their contribution to the welfare of wildlife and vegetation."
You can find out more about the achievements of both Flick the Switch Champion schools by visiting all 3 sections of the Flick the Switch website at www.flicktheswitch.eu Newsletter 4: Sept 2010 Flick the Switch
Flick the Switch Schools: Regional Finalists
The Flick the Switch flag arrives at Adland Primary School, Norway.
At the end of the school year the Flick the Switch flag and certificate were awarded to all pupils, parents and teachers of Adland Primary School. They were regional finalists in the Flick the Switch School Champions competition.
Adland Primary school has been a green flag Eco-School for the last five years, and now they have two flags to highlight the focus the school has on environmental issues.
"Environmental issues shall be at the core of all the activities we have in our school", Head Teacher Marianne Fagerland emphasised at the award ceremony. She continued "Every month last year we have had different Flick the Switch activities in all our classes; some pupils made posters for their classrooms as well as in the corridors of the school. In addition to this all computers, light switches and water taps had small drawings of Flick to remind the pupils and the teachers about the campaign."
The Flick the Switch flag was given to the chair of the Student Council, Nina Vea, and the Head Teacher, Marianne Fagerland on behalf of students and staff from the school (picture above).
The community of Kuršėnai Stasys Anglickis Basic School actively participated in the „Flick the Switch‟ project. Here is a report from teacher, Janina Baniene.
"The School Principal Danutė Lotiukienė returned from the final event in Rakvere, Estonia, with the Regional Finalist‟s flag, which currently decorates the school lobby. The active period of the project implementation having ended, we can now contemplate its outcomes.
It is important that the participants continue the project activities by themselves. The project activities have developed students‟ awareness of the need to save electricity at home and at school. The result of the project is a more diverse and a more efficient school operation. There have been classes on electricity and energy saving techniques and interesting extra-curriculum activities which involved both the students and their family.
However, we believe that a more important result is that students have found themselves capable of contributing to the school‟s financial matters - after all, electricity saved is school money gained! The project ideas were taken home and reported to parents and other family members by the students.
While reading information on the project website, the students, in liaison with the children of other countries, enjoyed their active contribution to the solution of the 10 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
topical worldwide issue of saving energy. Thereby, young people practiced citizenship; hence the project also developed the students‟ moral attitudes.
The final event of the project took place at the school at the end of May and featured the song „Flick the Switch‟, which had been created by the students themselves and had already gained popularity with the students. The students interpret the song lyrics as implying that the project activities will proceed without ever ending."
417 students, 54 staff and 40 parents from Zadobrova Primary School in Ljubljana, Slovenia were involved in the campaign. Here they talk about their experience.
Our school undertook many different activities for the Flick the Switch campaign. Students from grades 1-3 designed stickers with drawings depicting the economical use of soap, water, electricity, paper towels and toilet paper. The stickers were placed around the school.
Students also took up the role of Energy detectives. They walked around the school and monitored the use of electricity. They kept weekly records and advised other students on the economical use of lights and other electronic appliances.
We introduced our project to parents and visitors on ECO day. Seventy-nine students and their families participated in a questionnaire about energy saving and the Flick the Switch project. Here are some interesting responses:
Parents had actively measured their family household‟ carbon footprint. They monitored the use of electricity
and calculated the amount of energy they saved by changing their habits.
The parents explained that they participated in the project because they were interested in the topic and because they wanted to economise on the use of resources in their household. They realised that cutting down on the use of resources was challenging and that it demanded discipline and the participation of the whole family.
All families responded that they will continue economising. The majority of the parents would like to participate in the project next year.
Our project was very successful because students, parents and teachers took part in it. We saved energy and learned to live economically. We are all going to continue with this project next year.
This year we were designated regional finalists and we were very glad. Our participation in Flick the Switch was a great opportunity for our school to become more recognised in Europe, to share our ideas with other schools and to do more to save energy. Newsletter 4: Sept 2010 Flick the Switch
Marilena Sibechi, a teacher at Eco School Ion Creanga in Suceava, Romania describes what it was like to take part in the campaign and become a Flick the Switch Regional finalist!
"As we all know the world is changing, but not necessarily in a good way. How can we justify spending billions of dollars a year to further inspect the moon, asteroid belts and the uninhabitable planets of the solar system when our own planet is struggling? Searching for the words „roblems of the planet‟on Google gives you 63,000,000 results, of which global warming is one of the most serious.
For the situation to improve, for the whole world to change, we need to begin with ourselves. We need consistency and discipline. When millions of people say together "I‟ a responsible person" the message is more powerful and goes further, changing our way of thinking and our behaviour.
Wanting to be the change the world needs, I started looking for websites supporting my cause. One click led to another and I found the Flick the Switch website. I was intrigued by its funny characters and I was sure the children would love them so I registered my school for the campaign! The main idea of this project is to unplug all electric equipment which you don‟ use and which is left in stand-by mode. This can include printers, TVs, phone chargers, microwaves, toasters, radios, etc. Many people didn‟ know that electric equipment left on stand-by still consumes 10% of household energy. We also encouraged people to buy equipment with low energy consumption. It‟ not complicated.
Furthermore, we held presentations and had debates with pupils and their parents. The pupils managed to express the campaign‟ ideas through the poster competition. From almost 50 posters we chose the most beautiful to represent our school in the final poster competition, in Estonia.
During Flick the Switch week, in March 2010, a week full of events took place at our school. It started with a show called „ beautiful sprint for Earth.‟The show represented the collaboration between our team working on Flick the Switch and the „ife Link‟team. For this occasion an exhibition of posters made by pupils was organised.
On Thursday 25th March, our school, represented by 2 pupils, participated among another 14 schools from Europe in the second edition of the on-line Flick the Switch Energy debates.
But the surprise was yet to come because later Ion Creanga School was picked as the regional winner for Romania! That‟ why I was invited to participate in the Flick the Switch Closing Ceremony, which took place in Rakvere, Estonia. At this event I received the Regional Winner‟ Flick the Switch Flag and certificate. I was proud to learn that the 2 prize winning schools in the Flick the Switch poster competition were also Romanian schools. 12 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
I have officially given the flag and the diploma I received at Rakvere to our pupils.
In the end I asked every „licker‟to raise their hand. My students did this with joy and enthusiasm. I looked at them, pleased with myself, like a cultivator who just planted seeds in their land. I have planted ideas for a healthy life in my students which will sprout when they become adults.
Flick the Switch was a project which educated both students and parents. It was a dynamic, funny and youthful project. I am proud that I was part of it and I look forward to seeing it continue.
Romania flicks the switch! Let‟ flick together! 13 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
A letter to Flick the Switch!
Dear Flick,
There are people that do things only because they are fashionable. There are children that save energy because they know you. I wonder what will they do after the campaign. I say to them: Do the same after the campaign!
That’s why I made my poster with two faces, one for the present and one face for the future. They are twin faces because we are saving energy now and we’ll save energy for the rest of our lives.
My mates and I won’t forget the lessons you taught us. You are our friend forever.
Love
Daria Anamarie Dobre
We have also heard from our primary school poster competition winner, Daria Anamarie Dobre from Mihai Eminescu National College in Bucharest, Romania.
Daria wrote a letter to Flick about the campaign (see right).
To view the original letter and the winning poster please click on this link:
http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/files/Winning%20schools/Flick%20Letter_DariaAnamarieDobre_Romania.pdf
To read all the Flick the Switch Comic strips, you will find them located in the KIDS section of the Flick the Switch website at the following link:
http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=189&Itemid=331&lang=en
and the TEENS section at:
http://www.flicktheswitch.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=188&Itemid=330&lang=en
Don‟ forget to read the comic created by the Flick the Switch Champion school, St Francis Primary School in Malta! 14 Flick the Switch Newsletter 4: Sept 2010
Flick the Switch Workshop
The Flick the Switch Team are organising a Flick the Switch Workshop that will be held in England for students and professionals involved in the project.
The Flick the Switch Workshop will take place in Essex, in the UK on the 23rd September 2010. The workshop will explore the achievements of Flick the Switch across Europe, as well as showcase school efforts and energy saving actions in a stimulating and engaging environment. It will also give schools the opportunity to find out how we can transfer the knowledge gained during this campaign to their students now and in the future.
Moreover, primary and secondary students will be able to take part in a series of fun workshop activities where they will learn about saving energy in a fun and stimulating way, all of which are designed to give them the opportunity to explore energy related issues outside the classroom environment.
Flick the Switch, the life-sized mascot of the Flick the Switch Campaign will also make a very special guest appearance to entertain the students!
Flick the Switch partners will exhibit an array of campaign content and promotional material designed for schools plus other energy related information. A European market place exhibition will also be held for all guests to enjoy traditional culture elements from different European countries in the form of an array of different food and drink, traditional costumes and cultural and informative material.
If your school would like to attend this event please send an email to info@flicktheswitch.eu and we will be happy to provide you with further information. Newsletter 4: Sept 2010 Flick the Switch
Who‟ behind Flick the Switch?
Project Coordinator:
Iberian Productivity and Innovation Centre
(IPIC), Spain
www.ipic.cat
Project Partners:
The Eco-Schools Programme
International
Coordination
www.eco-schools.org
Projects in Motion, Malta
www.pim.com.mt
Energy and Environment Agency of Province of Perugia (AEA), Italy
www.aea.perugia.it
PPS Karmoy, Norway
www.karmoyped.no
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture
Kursenai Pavenciai Secondary School, Lithuania
www.ole.mok.lt/Lithuania/Lith_En.htm
ICS Gagliano Del Capo, Italy
www.comprensivogagliano.it
Rakvere Gümnaasium , Estonia
www.rakgym.edu.ee
Rakvere City Government, Estonia.
www.rakvere.ee
Climate Energy Ltd, United Kingdom
www.climateenergy.org.uk
www.fsb.hr
© European Communities, 2010
The information and views set out in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Communities. Neither the European Union institutions and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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