Girls needed for Clean Energy jobs

Julie Brown
London, UK, St. James's Ward
April 27th, 2012

”We need All of humanity not half of it to work on the clean energy revolution”

That’s the opinion of David Sandalow from the U.S. Department of Energy at the Women, Innovation and the Clean Energy Future reception held yesterday at Lancaster house, as part of the Clean Energy Ministerial.

Whilst there are some incredible women working in the clean  energy sector, such as Juliet Davenport, CEO of  Good Energy, these role models are few and far between.   Lack of understanding amongst young women of the opportunities available as well as a lack of women in middle management positions taking that next step up were discussed as the main reasons.

Yet it was felt by both the  women and men present that women do bring  a different perspective to the sector so should be encouraged to be a bigger part of it.

So please do encourage your female students to find out more about this interesting work that is key to our future.

To see how  members of Practical Action who work on clean energy and other technologies for the developing world got their dream jobs please visit our careers page for a poster and case studies.

Women making lives better for their families

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
March 2nd, 2012

When I go home one of the first things I will do is start getting the dinner ready.  After a bit of veg chopping I will be able to just flick the oven on and start cooking.  I’m sure that like me many women will be doing exactly the same, but not all women have that luxury.

It’s hard to image what it must be like to spend a large part of your day collecting firewood just to have enough to be able to cook supper for your family.  And can you even begin to image what it would be like if that stove produced so much smoke that it was made your children ill? Yet this is the norm for many women. At least 1/3 of women around the world don’t have decent cooking facilities.

With the help of Practical Action however many women in developing countries  are now able to make lives better for themselves and their families by learning how to make fuel efficient stoves.   These simple stoves:

• use less fuel women so don’t have to spend so much time collecting firewood
• produce less smoke, improving the health of the family
• are better for the environment

On 8^th March, International Women’s Day, spare a thought for women like 32 year old Zienab, a mother of two who lives in Kassala, Sudan  who helped  lift herself and her family out of poverty by building her own stove.

”I gained great benefit from attending a three-day improved stove training course. We discussed issues such as the disadvantages of using firewood and its negative impact on the environment and forests and how it leads to food insecurity. We learnt how to construct an improved stove from mud and cow dung. I made my own stove and took it home.

If you want to find out how to support women like Zienab please visit our website .

The future of design and Technology in the balance…

Bren Hellier
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
February 24th, 2012

In the recent report ‘The Framework for the National Curriculum’ produced by a panel for the National Curriculum review, it was recommended that D&T and Citizenship should be removed from the National Curriculum and form part of the Basic Curriculum.

At Practical Action we believe down grading the position of these subjects will lead to fragmented delivery of essential subject knowledge and skills.

Without a formal programme of study for these subjects, we cannot ensure that bigger picture thinking, including sustainability and global issues are delivered an entitlement for all pupils within a basic curriculum.

View our response to the panel’s recommendations.

If you agree with us that D&T should remain in the National Curriculum please send your response by email to the DfE Review Team at NationalCurriculumReview.FEEDBACK@education.gsi.gov.uk
before the end of February.

Global skills essential for a global economy

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
January 25th, 2012

¾ of businesses think we are in danger of being left behind by emerging countries unless young people learn to think more globally

That was one of the main findings of The Global Skills Gap, a report  by the British Council and Think global in December last year.  The report also found that 93% of businesses think it is important for schools to help young people develop the ability to think globally.

 Practical Action’s education work supports that need for students to be more globally aware and able to identify with global issues.  Our activities promote awareness and understanding of issues such as climate change , the importance of energy access,  and technology justice (Where technology is used for the benefit of all, ensuring poor people have simple, affordable and sustainable technology to improve their lives)

Students whose education has included a good global perspective have already been shown to go onto lead more sustainable lifestyles  and are more likely to be supportive of the work we and likeminded organisations do.  The fact that this report shows they are also potentially more employable adds weight to the value of our work to the students themselves and to society as a whole.

‘’what global companies look for are people who we think can take a global perspective.  Students are well placed to do this if they have opportunities to widen their cultural perspective’’

Sonja Stockton, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers

2012 – A sparky year for your students?

Bren Hellier
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
January 16th, 2012

If one of your new year’s resolutions is to introduce new ideas into your lessons, then you might want to link into a big issue that might spark your students interest.

As many of your students will have new electrical gadgets over the Xmas period, spare a thought for the 1.4 billion people worldwide have no access to electricity and 2.5 billion still rely on collecting fuels like firewood for cooking and heating.

2012 is the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, so Practical Action will be focusing more of its efforts internationally to improve energy access to many communities who we work with.

We want to share our stories with as many people as possible – so please have a look at our range of  Sustainable Energy activities with your primary and secondary students, ranging from Moja Island a renewable energy activity to a hands-on Windpower challenge.

Think Global have developed a great site which shares education materials for teachers from other organisations working on the International Year of Sustainable Energy.

STEM everywhere at the ASE conference

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
January 11th, 2012

Arriving at the ASE conference last week, with my umbrella turned inside out by the blustery weather, I expected to meet a lot of great teachers, and I wasn’t disappointed.  What I perhaps didn’t expect was to meet so many other interesting, passionate people in the education sector.  Anyone else notice that there has been a huge increase in the number of people with STEM in their title recently?!  STEM ambassadors, STEMNET, STEM centres, and teachers with responsibility for STEM clubs.

What was great from our point of view was how the ‘STEM’ people were so impressed with our resources.  It is great to meet new people who haven’t heard of you before and see their interest fire up as you talk about your ‘squashed tomato challenge’ or the ‘Small Is…challenge’.  Equally though it is inspiring to hear others tell you how they have used your material with their students and how they are keen to find out what’s new from Practical Action this year.

Two of our new resources we were telling people about are the global CREST challenges and our STEM careers material, which includes a free poster.  The CREST challenges have been produced to give students a starting point for projects in international development as part of the British Science Association’s CREST awards and have been really welcomed by science teachers.

Conferences are very tiring, and by the end we were dead on our feet , but it was really worth it as it confirmed to us that the education work at Practical Action is hugely valued by teachers and others who inspire the next generation.  I am confident that working with others we are having a significant impact on developing global awareness, encouraging engagement with global issues and organisations like ours,  and changing the behaviour of students.

Putting the global into science

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
December 13th, 2011

We are attending two great science conferences early next year

The ASE conference is an annual must for all science teachers interested in finding out what the latest science resources available are for keeping up to date on current policy and practice.  On 5-7^th January we will be there to show teachers the great resources we produce and how they can enhance their science teaching.  If you are attending do please come and see us, we’d love to find out what you like about our work and what else you’d like us to produce,  go to http://www.ase.org.uk/conferences/annual-conference/

Then on 25^th February if’s off to the ‘What is science for? ’ conference in Widnes , which will focus on the importance of global issues in science teaching. Sessions will include:

• Andrew Hunt – Making sense of our global interdependence through science
• Prof Malcolm Dando – Bioethics and biological weapons
• Eric Fewster – Science and engineering for relief and development
• Prof Justin Dillon – “Doing” science versus “Being” a scientist: Making sense of young people’s aspirations and attitudes to science
• Prof Justin Dillon (Workshop) – Climate change education within the new National Curriculum: threats and opportunities for teachers and students.

To book for this conference please go to  www.whatissciencefor.eventbrite.com

Design and Technology Show 2011

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
November 22nd, 2011

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World Food Day – tinned or fresh?

Bren Hellier
Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 5HN, UK, Rugby
October 17th, 2011

As we marked World Food Day yesterday – there was a certain ironic discussion going on in our house – what to send our9 year old son into school with for the harvest assembly this week?

My dilemma – to reach to the back of the food cupboard to find a tin (as requested by the school!) or something fresh from the garden….squash, beetroot or plums?

Well I’ll leave that dilemma for you to speculate…but if you’re looking this week to do something in your school assembly around harvest, then do look at our new Food and Sustainability part of our Schools website.

It’s packed with activities for teachers and has links to examples of inspirational food producers stories around the world.

Good luck and any suggestions of what to send welcome…

International Day for Disaster Reduction – it’s all about children

Julie Brown
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
October 7th, 2011

October 13^th is International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and this year the focus in on children and young people.

Last year I visited Nepal where I met an amazing young student who was on the committee for disaster management in her village.  She told me that learning what do if a flood occurred made her less afraid.  What really impressed me was that students were considered an important part of the committee and that their contribution was valued.  They helped educate other students in school as well as spreading the messages in their community.  Children power at its best!  It made me think that we could really learn something from that here in the UK.  As far as I am aware the committees that run Neighbourhood watch schemes do not inactively encourage participation from young people, perhaps they would be more effective if they did.

To find out moreabout the day and how you can get involved go to the United Nations website.