Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru

Final Colores Ingles – M. Hadzich – Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru -09/05/18 1

CHILD EDUCATION ON RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN PERU

M. HADZICH

Grupo de Apoyo al Sector Rural, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria Cdra 18 s/n, San Miguel , Lima – Perú.

ABSTRACT

The present proposal shows the different ways in which to teach children, between 7 and 12 years old, applications and advantages of renewable energies through practice and games. It is a result of ten years of experience in teaching this topic through active workshops, touring exhibitions, courses, contests and permanent displays developed by GRUPO (Grupo de Apoyo al Sector Rural) – a unit of the Engineering Department of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. The topics include solar, photovoltaic and thermal energy, wind and hydraulic energy for the generation of electricity and water pumping, as well as biomass energy and animal force as friendly technologies to environment.

INTRODUCTION

- In 1990 the GRUPO was officially created as an institution to support people from the rural areas and dedicated specially to the promotion of appropriate technologies related to clean energies. The “Casa Ecológica PUCP” (Ecological House), its institutional site, is an anti seismic house made of adobe that has many water, light, drainage and other services using equipment that operate with renewable energies. Since then we have received visits of more than 200,000 people, the majority students from schools, institutes and universities, as well as political and community authorities and general public, especially people from the remote countryside.

- In 1997 the electricity supplier “Luz del Sur” in agreement with the university, inaugurated the touring educational display “MUNDO ECOLOGICO” (Ecological World) and now is in its fifth year of display in the different districts of Lima , such as : Miraflores, San Juan de Miraflores, La Molina, Surco and Lima. In each one of these districts we received the visit of more than 30,000 pupils, especially from primary state schools who typically have few educational resources. The display includes renewable energy prototypes of easy application: wind pumps, wind turbines, rope pumps, hydraulic ram pumps, etc. which are handled by the same pupils.

- In 1999 the Universidad Católica introduces the workshop : “Scientific Morning” for pupils from 5th and 6th Grade (children between 9 and 11 years old) which receive 3 two-hour courses on topics related to renewable energies which are included in the National Elementary Syllabus of the Education Ministry in Peru. These include: Solar Energy (photovoltaic and thermal) ; Hydraulic Energy (pumping and generation of electricity) and Wind Energy (wind pumps and wind turbines); up to now we have received 360 classes from schools which make a total of 1,200 pupils trained in these topics. The training is free and the children take home the products made in these workshops , such as: recycled paper , plants from the bio farm, solar and wind toys, etc. Final Colores Ingles – M. Hadzich – Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru -09/05/18 2

Many of these schools have included this workshop in their Science, Technology and Environment Annual Planning , part of the Peruvian Curricula.

AT PRESENT

- In the year 2000, with the support of the university’s Principal, the “Casa Ecológica” was complemented with renewable energy machines to reinforce the already existing equipment, such as: Rope Pump, “Gaviotas” Wind Pump, Economic Wind Turbine with permanent magnets, 20W Pico Hydropower Turbine, 250 W and 2,5 kW Micro-hydro turbines, hydraulic ram pumps of different types (English, Japanese, plastic, etc) and solar pumps.

- At present, the GRUPO is adapting itself and is spreading the concept of Permaculture so as to make it part of the sustainable model of the “Casa Ecológica PUCP” including farm and architectural models such as bio farms , hydroponic and irrigation systems, low price anti seismic houses , bio weather architecture , breeding of small animals, etc.

Fig. 1.- “Casa Ecológica PUCP”

Fig 2.-Activities held in the “Casa Ecológica PUCP”

- Taking into consideration the wide range of activities done by the GRUPO we can say that since 1990 the people who are learning about the existence of appropriate technologies that use renewable energies is increasing day to day. Final Colores Ingles – M. Hadzich – Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru -09/05/18 3

TABLE 1

PARTICIPANTS IN DIFERENTS PROJECTS

Year “Casa “Mundo Scientific School Participants Ecológica” Ecológico” Morning Workshops

1990 2.000 2.000 1991 2.200 2.200 1992 5.000 5.000 1993 3.500 3.500 1994 3.500 3.500 1995 6.000 6.000 1996 6.500 6.500 1997 7.000 15.000 22.000 1998 8.000 20.000 100 28.100 1999 8.000 30.000 1.200 100 39.300 2000 7.500 35.000 1.500 200 44.200 2001 7.000 35.000 1.750 250 44.000

Total 66.200 135.000 4.450 650 206.300

Number of participants

45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Year

Fig. 3.- Increase in the number of participants in 12 years time.

ADJUSTMENT OF THE “CASA ECOLOGICA PUCP” TO THE EDUCATION MINISTRY’S CURRICULA IN PERU.

-The Peruvian Government is introducing curricular changes to its planning. To be well adapted to these curricular changes which are regularly made by the Ministry of Education, permanent activities in Environmental Education related to Renewable Energies have been programmed. These continuously adjust to the curricula and include motivating activities based on the constructivist model promoted by the Ministry under the slogan : “LEARN THROUGH DOING”, this teaching method has successfully been put into practice by the GRUPO since its beginnings. Final Colores Ingles – M. Hadzich – Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru -09/05/18 4

- At present (December 2001) the “Casa Ecológica PUCP” has the following equipment in permanent display in the campus: TABLE 2

RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN THE “CASA ECOLÓGICA PUCP”

EXHIBI- DEMONS- WORK- ENERGY APLICATION EQUIPMENT MODELS TION TRATION SHOPS Fotovoltaic cells, solar Lighting ELECTRICITY traps, toys Solar car Fotovoltaic cells Nickelsol, Enersol, Water Heaters Solartec SOLAR Boxs, Parabolics Solar Cookers HEAT EG SOLAR Greenhouse, Glass, plastic, wood Dryers PUMPING Solar pumps Alternative, diaphragm Hydro - Power Pico Turbines ELECTRICITY Stations Mycropower Stations English, japan, plastic Ram pumps BAH2 HYDRAULIC Traditional, Rope pump, PUMPING Hand pumps see saw pump Free Water Free Water turbines, Turbines Wheels WAIRA, ELECTRICITY Wind Turbines Windcharger Vassili EOLIC MCTB500 PUMPING Wind pumps Gaviotas VENTILATION Extractors Brasilians, peruvian Wood Stoves Improved HEAT and Ovens Fertilizers and Biofarms earthworm farms. AGRICULTURE Technified hydroponic, Watering BIOMASS aeroponic RECICLING Paper Letrines Septics WASTE Water Seaweed and Totora purification

In the chart shown above we can distinguish the different technologies each equipment provides through the following activities: EXHIBITION (You can only observe the equipment at work), DEMONSTRATION ( The pupils interact with the equipment operating it directly) and WORKSHOPS (the pupils work on the topic linking theory and practice).

Worksheets have been drawn for each one of these topics and these are also being reinforced by demonstrative wall displays easy to understand by the visitors. Now, we are editing Construction Handbooks of the equipment using simple language so that any person with a low educational level may have access to them. All this information is distributed by the “Tiendecita Verde” (Little Green Shop) , a straw bale building powered by solar energy which specializes in promoting technologies related to environment and renewable Final Colores Ingles – M. Hadzich – Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru -09/05/18 5

energies by selling books, CD’s , software, educational toys, etc and operating in the surroundings of the Casa Ecológica PUCP . Relates Activities

In addition to these activities directly related with children, for more than 5 years, we have had the Coca Cola Prize for Eco efficiency which includes amongst its prizes a version dedicated to the best school and enterprises’ projects. Since the year 2000 the ECOCARTOONS Contest has been held and in 2001 had as its main topic: “Renewable Energies and Environment” where over 600 cartoonists from more than 80 countries in the world took part.

How renewable energies and the environment fit into the large arena of “Sustainable Development” is a question GRUPO is well aware of. Since 1999 a team have been developing and educational programme promoting sustainable development. Misión Rescate Planeta Tierra – Perú provides the educational community with resources, training and support in this most development in curricula.

Finally, the GRUPO has been editing for more than 4 years the “América Renovable” magazine, specialised on Renewable Energies and Environment and at present has a published over of 3,000 copies three times a year. These are distributed all around the world and is complemented by an electronic Bulletin ([email protected]) that informs its 1,200 subscripts of all the activities related to the topic, such as fellowships, Congresses, Bids, Courses, Events, etc., every fortnight.

Fig.4.- Some GRUPO Publications : Ecocartoons, Flyers, Books, Magazines.

CONCLUSIONS

In this century where the environmental topic will turn out to be the main axis of the development of human activities, environmental education and renewable energies have a leading and fundamental t role for the future of humankind. This proposal intends to give a starting point in teaching our children everything about new clean technologies that will manage the Earth’s natural resources in the coming years. It will provide them of the necessary knowledge and skills on the way these work and awake their ecological conscience through play. In this way the young will be aware of, choose and make good use of clean solutions to improve our quality of life.

REFERENCES

GRUPO PUCP (1995-2001). América Renovable Magazine, Nos. 1-8 APES – Peruvian Solar Energy Congress Reports (1998 – 2000 – 2001) LUZ DEL SUR – Reports “Mundo Ecológico” Projects (1995 – 2001) GRUPO PUCP – Electronic Bulletin Grupo XXI – Nos. 1 – 22 http://www.pucp.edu.pe/invest/grupo Final Colores Ingles – M. Hadzich – Child Education on Renewable Energies in Peru -09/05/18 6