Moldova Energy and Biomass Project
is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme

Between 2011 and 2014 the Energy and Biomass Project in cooperation with the implementation partners (Ongoing Training Institute and Gutta Club), under the aegis and with the support of the Ministry of Education, implemented three educational initiatives in the renewable energy serouces (RES) and energy efficiency (EE) sector in the 127 schools which had installed biomass heating systems with the financial support of the Energy and Biomass Project. These educational and outreach initiatives targeted about 6 000 students from the project communities and included weekly webinars led by green energy experts with children and teachers from the project schools on RES and EE issues; discussion clubs; onsite visits to the public institutions which had installed biomass boilers with the support of the Energy and Biomass Project; presentations to the community leaders about the benefits of locally produced green energy; production and distribution of leaflets containing messages that promote green energy; designing models of alternative energy production systems (biomass boilers, hydropower stations, wind turbines, solar panels etc.).

For the 7^th and 8^th grade students, the Energy and Biomass Project produced and printed the Renewable Energy Sources

handbook, which explains in a concise and  illustrative manner all the renewable energy sources, in particular the biomass sources, the key energy conservation and efficiency concepts, the environmental benefits of the green energy and the potential for the use of renewable energy in Moldova. The training materials are based on the education materials developed under the SPARE Program (school program aimed to promote renewable energy).

The experts of the Energy and Biomass Project did not forget about teachers and developed a  Guidebook for Teachers

with detailed plans for every subject included in the manual and ideas for active training activities (experiments, demos, onsite visits, issues for discussion, presentations) to help the children better understand the RES and EE concepts.

Both the manual and the Guidebook for teachers were piloted during the extracurricular activities carried out in 106 schools involved in the Energy and Biomass Project between 2011 and 2013.

More than 21 thousand students from about 370 Moldovan schools participated in school activities dedicated to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in the period of 2011-2015. 127 of these schools installed biomass heating systems with the financial support of the Energy and Biomass Project. The rest of them were schools that wished and asked to implement this training course.

The children and teachers participated in weekly webinars moderated by green energy experts in various RES and EE issues; discussion clubs; onsite visits to the public institutions, which had installed biomass boilers with the support of the Energy and Biomass Project; presentations for the community leaders about the benefits of the locally produced green energy; production and distribution of leaflets to promote green energy; designing of model alternative energy production systems, such as models of biomass boilers, hydropower stations, wind turbines, solar panels etc.

The school teachers, in particular the teachers of biology, physics, sciences, chemistry and geography, were the main moderators of these educational activities. The teachers of the 127 beneficiary schools received specific RES and EE training. During the orientation workshops, all the teachers received a comprehensive package of training materials, including the pupil’s handbook, Guidebook for teachers, and audio and video resources. Afterwards, 225 schools with more than 13 000 7^th and 8^th grade students from all across the country joined this educational initiative.

After the training materials were piloted and accepted by the students and teachers in the 106 participating schools, the Renewable Energy Sources module was introduced as an optional course for the students in grades 5to 9 through the Direction of the Ministry of Education no.679 of 07.07.2013 and in 2015 the course was included in the National Curriculum for optional training courses. In 2015, about 1 200 students, the direct beneficiaries from the first communities approved for installation of biomass boilers in schools under the Energy and Biomass Project II, received training on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. For other 500 young people training was delivered in partnership with the Ecological Movement of Moldova.

The Energel summer camp with green energy flavor has been designed as a premium activity for the 7^th and 8^th grade students from the 127 Moldovan schools, which had installed biomass heating systems. Between 2011 and 2015, 322 students attended the 10-day summer camp, which combined a beautiful environment with a busy program of fun activities.

The participants in the summer camp were selected through a competitive process. Every school had a selection panel headed by headmaster, which selected one student from the 7^th grade and one from the 8^th grade. The panel evaluated the work of the students at the renewable energy course that was taught during the school year and the best ones were awarded with participation in Energel. The year 2014 was an exception, because that year each school was allowed to select four students for participation in the summer camp.

The education and entertaining activities of the summer camp include debates on the pros and cons of renewable energy sources; organization of flash-mobs to promote environmental messages; building of models of solar panels, wind turbines and biomass briquetting and pelleting equipment jointly with invited experts; participation in cleaning up of public parks and recreational areas in the localities that hosted the summer camps; organization of fashion shows to exhibit clothes and handicrafts made of recyclable eco-friendly materials; staging a play about the benefits of the renewable energy compared to the harm caused by fossil fuels. In addition, the participants visited picturesque places in the neighborhood and at the end of the summer camp they all received certificates and eco-souvenirs.   

The experts of the Ongoing Training Institute and Gutta Club – organizers of the summer camp, drafted a guiding policy for organization of RES and EE summer camps, which will facilitate the organization of similar activities after the completion of the Energy and Biomass Project.

In 2015 the Energel summer camp hosted children from the first communities selected under the Energy and Biomass Project II. The first practical activity of the 2015 summer camp was the participation in the Sustainable Energy Week celebrated under the aegis of the European Union. The students organized a flash-mob aimed to raise awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency, which was widely covered in mass media.

To ensure the sustainability of the summer camp training, the participants have to carry out follow-up activities for their peers in their communities or schools. Moreover, the Energy and Biomass Project established a network of 25 green energy volunteers who involved in the arrangements for the Sun Da-I Fest Festival, National Youth Day in Moldova and the UN Days in Moldova.

You can also study the renewable energy and energy efficiency course in your school. Don’t hesitate to ask your teacher for this optional course.