Over the last few months, the Taranaki Enviroschools team have literally been sparking ideas and creating energy with their Alternative Energy Roadshow. They have been visiting Enviroschools across the region, providing a fun and interactive learning opportunity for students, and a chance to take action for the environment.
Enviroschools banner
Students learnt about hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and people powered energy through fun and interactive activities. They learnt about careers if they were really interested in energy, how energy in Taranaki is made, where our sources of energy come from, how important it is to move to alternative forms of energy and engaged in ways that those forms of energy take.
Students learnt about who is most affected by changing climatic conditions, the kinds of things government departments, community groups and individuals are doing and actions they could take.
Part of this energy roadshow also included taking action for the environment through climate action pledges and building an awareness of how and where they can reduce emissions, help mitigate or navigate the changing climate. There were pre-made pledges they could choose from, or they could create their own. The pledges expanded into the general Enviroschools Kaupapa of sustainability and some of the social media posts shared after the roadshow (see below for examples) show that students see themselves in various forms of environmental action.
Examples of pledge cards
The Wind Energy set-up
Key highlights of the roadshow
- 11 schools from across Taranaki
- North Taranaki schools – St Josephs Waitara (90 students); Waitoriki School (30 students); Inglewood Primary (217 students); Uruti & Ahititi Schools (21 students); Welbourn School (168 students); Waitara High (124 students);
- Central Taranaki schools – Stratford Primary (212 students)
- South Taranaki schools – Ōpunake Primary (170 students); Whenuakura School (30 students); Matapu School (148 students)
- in total 1,210 students took part
“I just wanted to say a big thank you for the roadshow you organised for our kura yesterday. This was a big hit and the tamariki all told me they loved it” – Principal, St Josephs Waitara
The programme has been so popular that Council has agreed to support continuation into Terms 3 & 4 with another 18 schools totalling another 3,040 students to engage across those two terms.
The Enviroschools Difference
The Enviroschools Energy Theme Area was brought to life through this initiative, one of the most popular progammes that has been offered to Enviroschools in Taranaki region. The hands-on activities and the engaging way the programme was delivered has better enabled kura, kaiako and tamariki to connect the dots between personal action and large scale change. Connecting students to the global matter of climate change encouraged further thinking and consideration over other ways they can hold agency and make a personal impact.
“It was excellent, with the pitch to the young tamariki spot on, so they could understand and engage with the kaupapa” – Matapu School kaiako
All schools engaging in this kaupapa have extension Enviroschools learning opportunities offered to them. These include: an in-school energy audit; climate change and SDG learning programmes, opportunities for plantings, unpacking soil sciences, wai related mahi, food or waste systems.
Links to social media posts as a result of attending the roadshow
Impact of the roadshows captured on video with Marlene Lewis, Enviro Coordinator at Stratford Primary School – https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BRsYhw6rB/
Stratford Primary in action on the Taranaki Enviroschools Facebook page including their climate action https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19T7E4t3w1/
St Josephs Waitara https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1iEd9LUj3S/
Stratford Primary https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HL3c23D85/
Whenuakura School https://www.facebook.com/share/p/186roy42c8/
Waitoriki School https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1871pFQXWy/
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