Author: Daniele Pagani
Education has always been a strong focus point for Nordic Folkecenter, acting as linking topic during the many years we have been around. This focus continues, and it keeps on getting stronger and stronger!
These last two weeks have been quite busy in Folkecenter, as we got to organize a training programme for a high school from Croatia. Srednja škola Blato, that’s the name of the institution visiting us, is gymnasium and technical school from the island of Korčula, situated in the Southern parth of Croatia; it’s not the first time they visit us, since they were in Folkecenter already in February 2020, just before the pandemic. We are happy to see that they are back to us, with a different class!
The group consists of 8 young, but very motivated students (4 girls + 4 boys, all aged between 16 and 18), who are accompanied by two of their teachers: Ivana Biško (Physics) and Nela Žaknić (Biology and Chemistry); they were joined in some of their training activities by students from the Danish school of Tvind.
The Program: an All-Around Learning Experience
The name of the program (Renewable Energy from A to Z) is not by chance: in less than two weeks, the students get exposed to a very large amount of information, which covers the basics of most renewable energy technologies.
The topics covered during this period were:
- Danish Energy system & Renewable Energy Cooperatives
- Solar thermal & district heating
- Renewable energies in practice (showing all the installations available in Folkecenter)
- Green mobility & hydrogen
- 17 SDGs from the UN
- Wind energy
- Photovoltaics
Besides the theory, the students had the chance to have some practical exercises and physically build some prototypes, as we think that is the best way of learning…and, of course, excursions! We took them to visit the Geothermal plant in Thisted, a small and large biogas installation, the National Test Center for Large Wind Turbines, a district heating plant, a (successful!) community energy project and, last but not least, the Tvind wind turbine, where they could climb on top (with an elevator) and experience the amazing view (yes, they saw also the components, but those they could see also in our museum!)
Following them, the teachers, with whom we exchanged teaching material and tips, so that they can include the renewable energy topic also in their everyday classes.
The training period is soon finished – on Friday they will travel back – and we would like to say thank you to these very motivated students and teachers, who travelled from the other side of Europe in the cold Danish autumn to learn about renewables!
We hope to host you again in the future!
If you wish to have a similar training being developed for your institution, please do not hesitate to contact us (Daniele Pagani, dp@folkecenter.dk)
