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First National Sustainable Energy Awareness Workshop for Educators in the Bahamas

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Organization of American States (OAS) through its Department of Sustainable Development conducted a two-day teacher workshop in New Providence August 21-22, 2013. This workshop gave focus to the importance of teaching renewable energy, energy conservation, and the need for advocacy of cleaner and more sustainable energy development in The Bahamas. The fifteen attendees included teachers representing primary, junior and secondary schools on Abaco, Andros, Inagua and New Providence.

The sessions were conducted via lectures on wind, solar and energy efficiency, which were complemented with hand-on activities and practical experiments.

Among the most active activity was the design wind turbine blades, the teachers received a variety of supplies such as index cards, tape, cardboard, balsa, paper clips, corks etc. and instructing them to build a windmill that could lift weight. After that activity, teachers designed blades and attempted to make the most efficient wind turbine possible. This was a great inquiry-based unit, allowing for teachers to test hypotheses and try out different variables.

Given that solar water heaters are an environmentally sound way to reduce energy bills, and remain one of the most efficient and least expensive of the renewable energy technologies, and lastly reduce carbon emissions, the session on understanding and experimenting with solar thermal and PV was highly receptive by the participants. During the activity, the teachers received a solar thermal exploration kit, the teachers then designed a solar thermal collector to harness the energy of the sun for water heater.

We can conclude that the workshop fulfilled its purpose to increase the capacity of the educators to effectively prepare student-centered lessons on these topics and incorporate them as part of the national science curricula and raise awareness among new generations on the importance of renewable energy sources, and efficient use of energy in the Bahamas. Additionally, the workshop opened the doors to further capacity building to teachers and educators, which provides the validation to implement an education and awareness program. Teachers left the workshop not only having learned about current technologies and advances in science from experts in the field, but also with lessons, ideas and materials to use during hands-on instruction with students.

The workshop, partially funded by the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Caribbean Initiative, was implemented through the OAS’s pilot program, the Caribbean Energy Education and Awareness Programme (CEEAP) under the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP) and in close collaboration with the KidWind Project.

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