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Background

The Young Energy People (YEP!) project developed by SWEA and funded by Gloucestershire County Council, seeks to develop a whole school energy saving ethos and management practice
through the development and training of a student led energy
management team.

The project firmly links to one of the principle aims of secondary education which is to develop students who are well prepared to face the challenges of finding jobs and facing their first days in employment. Schools provide programmes of Work Related Learning (WRL) for this purpose and the YEP! project provides an excellent opportunity to integrate sustainable energy education into the school curricula. In addition our project schools are provided with opportunities to take part in a range of energy and climate change-related activities and events.

Following the success of our Pilot Project, YEP! is currently being implemented in a further 15 secondary schools throughout Gloucestershire as part of YEP! 2010.

Aims

YEP! works with students to initiate and support sustainable energy practices in schools and to reduce the associated negative effects of energy use.

As a result of the programme, the following aims will be met:

1. Increased Student & Teacher awareness of:


1. Energy Efficiency
2. Renewable Energy Sources
3. Climate Change Issues


2. Reduced consumption and an increased awareness of small-scale renewable energy opportunities within the school

Links to National Education Objectives:

As well as meeting the above aims and objectives, the YEP project is also designed to tie in with a range of national education policies and agendas including:

1. The National Curriculum 2008
2. Every Child Matters
3. The National Framework for Sustainable Schools
4. Work related learning
5. 14-19 Diplomas

Therefore, YEP should not be seen as an add-on and should not involve a great deal of extra work; it can be fully integrated into existing curriculum plans and activities.

Project Activity

How is YEP! implemented in schools?

Stage 1: Preparation

1. Formal agreement to be signed by participant school and SWEA

Participant schools make a formal commitment to the project through signing an agreement that outlines the minimum requirements of the school and the commitment of support from SWEA.

2. Initial assessment of school site and energy performance

An initial assessment of the school site is carried out by a member of SWEAs technical team in preparation for the student survey and a School Energy Diary is set up to enable ongoing monitoring of the school's energy performance.

3. Establish a student based School Management Energy Team (SEMT)

Whole school interest in the project is initiated and students are recruited to the School Energy Management Team (SEMT) through recruitment assemblies delivered by SWEA. Interested students are required to apply for specific roles in the SEMT according to job descriptions provided. Successful applicants undergo an interview process with SWEA staff to establish an appropriate role for each individual. Job roles include: Senior Project Managers, Project Managers, IT Managers, Marketing Managers and Energy Advisors.

Stage 2: Project overview and Training

Students provided with an overview of energy use and its impact on the environment.

• Students assess the current energy performance of their school using baseline data.
• SEMT trained to undertake a technical energy survey and produce an energy survey report.

Stage 3: Survey and Energy Report

• SEMT become actively involved in surveying their school building.
• Students produce an energy report and outline recommendations to improve energy efficiency

Stage 4: Action Planning and implementation

• Students develop and implement an action plan and launch an energy efficiency campaign to raise whole-school awareness and work towards energy reduction targets.

Stage 5: Review and monitoring

• Students review progress and revise their action plan accordingly.
• Students continue to monitor and review of energy consumption

What support can schools expect from SWEA?

Schools will be supported by the staff at SWEA throughout the project. Our education staff will be on hand and will visit the school regularly throughout the process, ensuring that the project runs as smoothly as possible. You will also receive free technical advice to help you in completing the energy survey and developing appropriate recommendations.

In addition we will:

• Provide a named contact responsible for co-ordinating the work in and between schools.
• Freely provide all educational tools and resources for implementing the work.
• Work with the school to establish a mutually agreed plan for implementation of the student work during the academic year of September '10 - July'11
• Provide free technical and educational support for the running of the programme and creation of a school energy management team.
• Support schools in carrying out a technical energy survey and developing associated recommendations.
• Provide the school with a full evaluation, providing information on the impact of the project in terms of energy savings and the development of pupil awareness.

Young Energy People - Pilot Project

Background

Schools have begun to embrace the national policy in relation to the development of sustainable schools and yet this remains challenging in the face of the restricted amount of time teachers have to invest in the exploration of sustainability issues with their pupils. Much of the work is undertaken through student-led environmental groups and school councils and in the majority of cases the energy topic is one of the least frequently negotiated. .

The YEP! project has proved that it is possible to address issues relating to energy use whilst engaging students in relevant, 'real-life' tasks. The project places equal priority on the need to fulfill educational policy and standards and to motivate young people to take action against climate change. YEP! also takes advantage of the work-related learning curriculum as an interesting context to deliver sustainable energy education to students.

Aims

YEP! works with students to initiate and support sustainable energy practices in schools and businesses to reduce the associated negative effects of energy use. In doing so YEP! demonstrates to students the application of energy management skills to employment and bring the field of energy related careers into focus for pupils, teachers and workplaces.

Project Activity

The project work, led by SWEA, in eight European regions has followed a common theme and approach. In Gloucestershire we have been working with five schools to develop and pilot a programme of work in which schools and local businesses have cooperated in implementing energy saving measures. The school building has been used as a case study for pupils to develop skills in energy auditing, basic energy management and initiating an efficiency campaign. Following their training students have been given the opportunity to transfer their skills to a local workplace initiating energy savings there. Our project schools were provided with a number of opportunities to take part in a range of activies and events.

Funding

The total cost of the 3 year work was €194,500 (£131 970) which was freely provided to schools as a result of 50% funding from Energy Intelligent Europe (The European Commission). Match funding was provided through Gloucestershire County Council and the Severn Trent Recovery Fund.

Partners

YEP is a European partnership co-ordinated by:

Severn Wye Energy Agency, Gloucestershire, UK

Energy Agency of Livorno Province, Italy
Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg, Germany
Agency Energy Ribera, Spain
Energikontor Sydost, Sweden
Energy Agency of Perugia, Italy
Regional Energy Agency Crete, Greece
Energy Agency of Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Gloucestershire Schools

In consultation with the projects steering committee the following schools have been enlisted in the project work:

• Cleeve School, Cheltenham
• Farmors School, Fairford
• Rednock School, Dursley
• Severn Vale School, Quedgeley My YEP Story by Aimee Williams
• Stroud High School, Stroud My YEP Story by Cressida Mawdesley-Thomas
• Tewkesbury School, Tewkesbury

Overview of the Project Plan

Project partners have worked with a minimum of five secondary schools and five businesses, although the number of businesses has, in most cases, exceed this in order to accommodate the number of pupils requiring placements.

Project participants have established a local steering group with representatives of the key actors to inform the local project work. These have included secondary school teachers, educational authorities and business representatives, in addition to representatives identified at a local level with links to the project work (e.g. other environmental educational groups, agencies).

Secondary schools and steering groups have supported and contributed to the development of a work programme, led by the project partner, which has trained a School Energy Management Team of pupils (SEMT). Training has included basic surveying skills and how a programme of improvements can be instigated on the basis of their observations. The school building and community has, therefore, been used as a basis for the acquisition of skills that have then been transferred to the workplace.

School Energy Management Teams have been matched with workplaces supporting and informing the project action so that pupils will have the opportunity to visit a place of work and apply their knowledge to a real life context. This has increased the general awareness of energy use and efficiency measures for pupils, teachers and workplace staff and has had the additional benefit of introducing pupils to the possibilities for future careers in the field of sustainable energy.

The pupil programme has been supported by quality resources developed on the basis of a review of existing good practices. Through the careful evaluation of the project activity these resources have been trialled and assessed to create best practice examples that will now be made available for use in the 2010 phase of the project.

As a result of our project activity, the following results have already been noted:

• Increased awareness in teachers of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and climate change and how to educate pupils on these issues.
• Increased awareness amongst pupils about energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and climate change, the related skills and their applications to real life and the workplace
• Increased awareness in workplaces about their energy use and measures that can be taken to become more efficient and sustainable.
• Reduced consumption in project schools and work places and awareness of the renewable energy possibilities.
• A set of high quality resources and best practice examples for how to implement energy education and training into secondary schools.
• An example of how business and schools can co-operate to encourage pupils to achieve.
• A pro-active dissemination and communication of project activities and results to support and instigate other work of a similar nature.

Young Energy People 2010

Background

Following a successful pilot project, Gloucestershire County Council have provided funding of up to £5000 per school for a further 15 schools to take part in the first phase roll out of the project. YEP! is flexible enough to meet a variety of needs and to be of relevance to a range of ages and abilities. As a result this phase of the project work is seeing students across Key stages 3, 4 and 5 from taking part in YEP! 2010. Our YEP 2010 schools include:

• Archway School, Stroud
• Bournside School, Cheltenham
• Chosen Hill School, Churchdown
• The Crypt, Gloucester
• The Cotswold School, Bourton on the Water
• Katharine Lady Berkeley's School, Wotton-under-Edge
• Lakers School, Coleford
• Maidenhill School, Stonehouse
• Marling, Stroud
• Newent Community School, Newent
• Pate's Grammar School, Cheltenham
• Ribston Hall High School, Gloucester
• Sir William Romney's, Tetbury
• Whitecross School, Lydney
• Winchcombe School, Winchcombe

Project Activities

Through project activity, SWEA have worked with teaching staff, Site Managers and finance staff in participating schools to:

• Recruit a School Energy Management Team through a formal application and interview process.
• Raise awareness amongst the SEMT of issues related to energy and the environment.
• Assess the school's current energy performance against national benchmark data.
• Train students to carry out a technical energy survey of their school buildings.

So far participating students have:

• Carried out a technical energy survey on their school building
• Produced a school energy report outlining their findings and developing energy efficiency recommendations for their school.
• Set energy reduction targets and drafted an energy policy for their school
• Taken part in inter-school events to compare findings and discuss best practice.
• Presented findings and recommendations to the school governors and senior leadership team.
• Formulated and developed an action plan to raise awareness amongst the wider school community in order to reduce energy consumption.
• Developed a system of 'energy detectives' to monitor energy saving behaviour in the school.
• Held 'energy awareness days' to spread energy saving messages across the whole school community.
• Monitored and displayed their energy consumption data to show the impact the project is having in their school

Some schools have found that the project has engaged children that have previously proved difficult to engage, whilst others have used the project to challenge and extend higher ability pupils. Students involved in YEP! have grown in confidence as the project has progressed, developing their presentation and speaking skills and engaging in quality discussion. In addition schools are now beginning to see how on the project can help to build a more cohesive school community with students, teachers and support staff coming together to work in partnership. SEMTs have started to raise energy awareness within their schools by creating web pages, notice boards and newsletter articles.

"The presentation went well - stimulated lots of questions from SLT and a desire to act on our report. They are now keen for the group to start on the next stage of getting the school involved." (Mr C. Reynolds, Teacher at the Crypt School)

"They (The SEMT) were very well received and they have the full backing of SLT, site staff and governors to start campaigning and develop the energy policy, which when complete will be put on the Governors meeting agenda." Julie Parsons (Teacher at Chosen Hill School)

Young Energy People 2011

Background

Following the success of the 2010 phase of the project, Gloucestershire County Council kindly provided funding for a further 8 schools to take part in the project. This brings the total number of secondary schools that have taken part in the project to 29, ensuring that the effects of the project have now been felt county-wide. The schools taking part this academic year are as follows:

• Balcarras School, Cheltenham
• Barnwood Park Arts College, Gloucester
• Chipping Campden School, Chipping Campden
• Cirencester Deer Park School, Cirencester
• Dene Magna School, Mitcheldean
• High School for Girls, Gloucester
• St Peter's High School, Gloucester
• Sir Thomas Rich's Grammar School, Gloucester

Project Activities

As in previous phases of the project, SWEA have worked with teaching staff, Site Managers and finance staff in participating schools to

• Recruit a School Energy Management Team through a formal application and interview process.
• Raise awareness amongst the SEMT of issues related to energy and the environment.
• Assess the school's current energy performance against national benchmark data.
• Train students to carry out a technical energy survey of their school buildings.

So far participating students have:

• Carried out a technical energy survey on their school building.
• Produced a school energy report outlining their findings and developing energy efficiency recommendations for their school.
• Set energy reduction targets and drafted an energy policy for their school.

• Presented findings and recommendations to the school governors and senior leadership team.
• Used displays, newsletters, web pages, posters and leaflets to increase awareness of the project in their school.

With SWEA's continued support during the remainder of the academic year the SEMTs will:

• Develop energy efficiency campaigns to promote behaviour change among staff and students.
• Organise a series of energy awareness days as part of their energy efficiency campaign
• Start to communicate their messages to the wider community.
• Monitor and review the energy performance of their school using the school energy diary.
• Monitor their progress towards the targets they have set to reduce their school's energy consumption by 10% over the next 3 years.

Activities and Events

All links below are downloadable PDFs.

COMING SOON

YEP! Consultation Event: April 2011

YEP! has been in operation since 2008 and has now reached 28 secondary schools in Gloucestershire. The project has achieved outstanding evaluated results for energy savings, development of student knowledge and skills and teacher confidence to broach energy issues in the curriculum.

We would now like to offer this project beyond our county and in order to do so we are organising a consultation event for organisations who would be interested in having the skills and resources to develop their own YEP! projects for schools in their area.

A half day consultation event will be held at a venue close to Bristol's main station at Temple Meads. It will include a presentation of the project work in Gloucestershire and proposals for a wider delivery method that would equip other organisations to deliver the work as well as supporting the establishment of pilot projects in their areas. Group discussions will collect your feedback and ideas for how a wider progamme should be shaped and delivered.

If this is of interest to you please e-mail Rachel Close (Head of Education and Training) in order to receive further information and keep the 4th and 7th of April 2011 free in your diary. Once we have a firmer idea of numbers of participants we will confirm the venue and date.

Young Energy People was initiated and developed by Severn Wye Energy Agency. It is in its third phase of delivery in Gloucestershire as a result of funding from our County Council and as a result of pilot funding from the same and the European Commissions' Intelligent Energy Europe programme.

rachel

01452 835069

Previous events and activities

YEP 2010 Inter School Quiz (July 2010)

Pate's Grammar School become the 2010 Energy Quiz Champions at the YEP! 2010 Inter-school quiz.

Chosen Hill and KLB Inter-school Guest Speaker and Sharing Event (June 2010)

Chosen Hill and KLB SEMT discover more about careers in the energy field by talking to Matt Thames from Magnox North.

Rednock and SVS interschool sharing event (May 2010)

Rednock SEMT take the Severn Vale Eco Team on a tour of their new school building and share their ideas for energy efficiency campaigns.

Climate Change Ambassadors - July 2009

These films were made with students from seven Gloucestershire Secondary schools who wanted to share their thoughts about Climate Change and encourage key decision makers to take action.

Inter-school quiz

On 1st July 2009 teams from six secondary schools in Gloucestershire battled it out to become YEP! Champions in a challenging 'game show' style competition covering global energy issues, alternative energy sources and energy efficiency.

Inter-school visit

As part of the project, we encourage schools to meet up to share ideas. Pupils from Farmor's School met with pupils from Cleeve school to discuss the work they had been doing.

Threatened Islands Debate

Young People from five of our project schools put themselves forward for an 'Apprentice' style grilling at an event at Shire Hall

Sus Buildings presentation

On Tuesday 17th March 2009, Jane Lock-Smith (Director from Cube Design Architects) took a few hours out of her busy day to give a presentation to the students of Tewkesbury and Stroud school about her job in building design. The talk gave an interesting insight to Jane's company and some of the process of designing a building from the art element to 3D design and the construction process.

Young Energy People - Results

Our pilot project was fully evaluated with very pleasing results;

Average savings per school:

• 16% reduction in consumption (kWh)
• 12.5% reduction in carbon emissions (CO2)
• Average cost savings £3,750
  (academic year 2009/10 compared to academic year 2008/9)

Significant outcomes for change in behaviour, increase in student knowledge and impacts on teaching practice are also recorded. Please download our full report for the details.