wwww? - Children learn to consciously observe their living space

People spend the bigger parts of their lives in buildings. Children and youths team up with university research teams, experts, companies (KARDEA and HERZ) and the club “School generates Energy” to examine the impact of heating, cooling, ambient air quality and sunlight and how these aspects can be altered. The project taught the youngsters a lot about building technologies and introduced them hands-on in a laboratory setting to the university’s degree programs “Building Technology” and “Energy and Environmental Management”. 

Teams made up of students, professors and lecturers visited the participating project groups in their respective schools or kindergartens to inspect the premises. Research units looking at supply and waste management, ambient air condition and comfort or architecture and building materials were prepared considering the age groups of the various participants. These units were prepared with the help of the Pinkafeld technical college and the kindergarten pedagogy institute Hartberg. This allowed the project teams to start right in.

Making the most of the trickle-down effect, the schools‘ students passed on their newly acquired expertise to younger students within the framework of project days at the schools. Through this peer-teaching, students learned that the premises of the schools, the basement or facility room could double as exciting research labs. This also enticed the students to pay more attention to their surroundings and some may even consider to pursue a career in building technology or energy and environmental fields.

At this point we thank FFG, the Austrian Association for Research Funding,  for supporting this Project!