Green lessons in 2022

The Play Green with Us!^® programme consists of specially developed lesson plans for educating younger generations on such important issues as environmental protection and ecology. The scenarios take the form of workbooks and are aimed at teachers and educators involved in teaching primary school children in three age categories: grades 1-3, 4-6 and 7-8.

As part of the Play Green with Us!® programme, teachers organise eco-lessons based on Polenergia’s green scenarios during biology, chemistry and geography lessons, in parenting classes, or by organising nature clubs. Each school has appointed a project co-ordinator to collect information on the implementation of environmental issues within the school or kindergarten. These lessons are documented in the form of photographs and also short notes.

In the first semester of the 2022/2023 school year, more than 400 hours of classes were conducted in the areas of renewable energy sources and energy transition needs, land and water conservation, and waste management principles. The teachers who work with us are positive about our educational project and, what’s important, emphasise the great commitment of the pupils participating in the Play Green with Us!® activities. Through the proposed tasks, exercises and experiments, they are able to maintain a natural enthusiasm for learning.

Although our workbooks were prepared for primary schools, we managed to encourage kindergartens located in the area of Polenergia’s investments to participate in the programme as well. The “Niezapominajka” kindergarten from Nowa Sarzyna adapted the scenarios in such a way that kindergarten children aged 5 and 6 could also benefit from the green portion of knowledge. In this way, five classes on water and water management were held there in the first half of the year, which were enthusiastically received by the children.

Thanks to the great commitment of the Polenergia team, students also have the opportunity to see in the field how ‘green electricity’ is generated. All thanks to the eco lessons organised at our wind and photovoltaic farms. The best way to understand and remember an issue is to confront it. One such lesson took place in November 2022 at the Sulechów Photovoltaic Farms. Further lessons across the country are already planned for spring 2023.

It is worth noting that the freedom left in the approach to the green topics implemented allows the huge potential inherent in young people to be realized. One way to test but also to expand knowledge in this area is through competitions. At the Father Jan Twardowski Primary School in Kończewice, an art competition entitled ‘Renewable Energy Sources’ was organised in December 2022 with the major participation of Polenergia. The subject of the competition was a poster made using any technique, the aim of which was to promote one form of energy generation: solar, wind, water or geothermal. The students produced beautiful artwork showing their wealth of knowledge, creativity and ingenuity. The multitude of ideas for advertising green energy activities proves that we are moving in the right, green direction, which makes us very happy and optimistic. We encourage you to read the awarded students’ works on the website: Playing Green in the Municipality of Miłoradz.

Schools implementing the principles of a green tomorrow with us also initiate great ideas themselves, which they organise together with their pupils. Primary School No. 3 from Leżajsk, conducting classes on waste, proposed an interesting cooking and environmental task for all school pupils – what to do with leftover food, i.e. with products we do not eat or which we throw away when preparing meals. The pupils showed that this is not as difficult as it might seem and prepared delicious, beautiful-looking dishes. They also posted reports and dish suggestions, along with photos, on FB: Nature Page Three. Such initiatives are worth highlighting and replicating. A big round of applause for the establishments involved!

To further support teachers, but also parents and educators from all over Poland in conducting green lessons, Polenergia, in cooperation with the Kulczyk Foundation and UNEP/GRID-Warsaw, organised a series of six free webinars from September to November 2022. These attracted huge interest. A total of 213 people registered to watch the meetings live. The webinars were led by UNEP/GRID-Warsaw experts with many years of experience in preparing listeners to work with children and young people in the areas of environmental protection and climate change, as well as active teachers – practitioners who, from their perspective, told how best to implement climate education in the realities of a Polish school. The webinars were differentiated in terms of the age groups at which the education is targeted: for grades 1-3 and for grades 4-8. Each webinar is available to watch online after submitting the appropriate application form via the website: Play Green with us!®. You are cordially invited to enjoy the recorded portion of knowledge on sustainability.

We would like to thank all the schools and kindergartens involved, teachers and educators for taking such an active approach to implementing the Play Green with us!® project together with Polenergia. Our desire is to motivate, empower and sensitise young audiences to the fact that we all have an impact on what happens around us and that it is largely up to us what the world will look like in the future. Together, we are preparing, supporting and motivating young people to change the way they think about energy options and change the habits that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe. We adults are an example to the children, so thank you very much for playing green with us.

Together we can do anything!