“In the workshops we try to bring this idea of energy transformation processes and how to use, especially, renewable energy sources. We prepare teaching materials and the kits with several rattletraps that are powered by these energy sources, that are relatively simple so that the children can understand the processes that are taking place.”
A teacher for 27 years, Elaine Silva, who also manages the Lídia Naildes Pinto Moreira Municipal School, was very excited by the initiative, highlighting the innovative pedagogical proposition the project offers.
“The children want to learn, they have a lot of potential, but don’t have more room for a traditional methodology in the classroom. We need to listen to our pupils and learn from them too. This environment is so amazing we don’t want to leave. My dream is that our schools work like this, we will take what we have learned here to transform our school.”
PlayEnergy-Enel Formula S, the championship that put the rattletraps in action
The rain, highly anticipated in the Chapada region, arrived together with PlayEnergy. On the last day of the week dedicated to the activities, participants didn’t know whether to celebrate the water or to hope for a little bit mote sun and wind to put their rattletraps to the test.
In the end, everyone was happy: the rain gave a break and the sun arrived, accompanied by the wind. The PlayEnergy team extended the racing track to welcome cars and boats powered by renewable sources. The competition that boosted everyone’s mood began. It was hard to tell who was cheering more, pupils or their teachers.
The emotions were shared by the whole school community! Students and teachers returned to their schools with their creations and a kit to assemble the renewable gizmos from scratch, spreading even more what they had learned during PlayEnergy.
Creativity in the search for a sustainable future
Curious and questioning by nature, the new generation embraced PlayEnergy, which, in turn, fulfilled its mission to spread the culture of shared responsibility, motivating the youngsters to take care of their future and the world.
Because it believes in this transformative potential, PlayEnergy goes beyond competitions and promotes a cultural contest that challenges students to have project ideas with positive impact on the quality of life of the communities that they inhabit.
Conducted in pairs and tutored by a teacher, the initiative transforms schools into a true creative lab. Through observations on the city’s energy consumption and everything they have learned about electricity generation, the pairs produce a video explaining the original solutions and their applications for the efficient use of energy.
During the Week’s closing ceremony, the young inventors with the best ideas return home with prizes, which range from smartphones and digital readers to a sum of money for their school.
In Rio de Contas, 38 projects were submitted to the contest and it was a close race. The winners proposed the execution of collective efforts to revitalise the town square, with tree planting and the construction of a play area for children, creating a shared space for the community to interact outside their homes. The planting of fruit trees to improve the school’s acclimatisation and the “Roving Cinema” powered by solar generators and with free open-air sessions took second and third place respectively.
What do the projects have in common? The three look for simple but effective solutions that can be replicated in different places, reinforcing the importance of working together.
“Sharing ideas has the potential to transform our environment. Promoting dialogue and teamwork to get creativity off the page and, who knows, inspire people to implement their projects. This is the goal of the PlayEnergy Cultural Contest.”
PlayEnergy is an Enel commitment with the UN Sustainable Development Goal for Quality Education and Clean and Accessible Energy. The objective is to contribute to the improvement of local education and stimulate research on Renewable Energy, Technological Innovation and Environmental Conservation. In 2018, the project visited 11 Brazilian cities, benefitting 5,300 pupils from 67 public schools, as well as 212 teachers and managers.
