uCount - Selfmade-Workshops für Gesundheit und Umwelt

Schule: Schulzentrum der Kreuzschwestern, Linz

KoordinatorIn: Mag. Hofer Josef
DirektorIn: Mag. Doris Mayer Mag. Stefan Schuhmann, (Schulzentrum)

Inhalt

Abstract
As an ecological school we focus on doing projects improving environment and health every year. For us, a catholic private school, it is important to put the emphasis on human well-being. The following health and environment project was founded in the context of religious education. Initially we established a group of 6 pupils and one teacher, who met at the beginning of November in their leisure time to determine the aims of the project. In this meeting, it was decided to mainly use the school-trip to a castle in Bad Kreuzen for planning the project. Followed by formation of the groups focusing on each workshop and strengthening the teams with community-games, we started research and gathered information. After these start-up-days we went home with a great concept and a very complex and meaningful project named “uCount”.
Back at school we continued the elaboration. We had to create digital calculations, prepare presentations and rehearse them, plan the structure for each workshop and bought measuring instruments. The coordination between the two classes was especially challenging, altogether we are 45 Students working hart for the success of the project. In December we presented uCount to the headmasters of three school types (AHS/HLW/BAKIP) and they decided that all students, beginning at the age of 15, had to attend these workshops. With our presentations in 29 classes we reached about 700 pupils and were able to raise awareness of various ecological issues.
The workshop “Electricity and light” is amed at reducing the electricity consumption and waste in a specific class. All the information about electronic equipments in their class (computer, projector, printer, notebooks, light, etc.) has been collected and investigated to see where it is possible to save electricity. The data, showing the saving potential, was adapted into a tableau for the pupil to raise awareness. The results were converted into CO2-emission and converted to a car route.
The group working on the workshop “Mobility” produced an online questionnaire (Peter Kraml, 4aHLW) on the subject of CO2-emission. The aim was to calculate the emissions from all three school types, which the students cause on their way to school and on their private ways. In cooperation with the TU-Graz we tried to make a statement concerning the fine dust problem in Linz. The online questionnaire was carried out anonymous by TANs. Amongst all participiants, 30 vouchers of the ÖBB and Maxi-Tickets of the Linz AG have been raffled. The results of the online questionnaire have been presented in an school event in April.
The workshop „Air quality“ deals with the CO2-content in the classrooms. Under 1000 ppm (1000 air particles CO2 within one million air particles-parts per million) CO2-content in the air of a room, the possibility for concentrated learning and working is given. We measured the air quality of the classroom during the workshop, explained how to aerate correctly and come up with an individual ventilation plan for every class with the right rate of ventilation in relation to the volume of the room and the number of students. The right ventilation helps to save heating costs, supports concentrated working and lowers the fine dust pollution in classrooms. The measuring instruments were chosen and bought by the students themselves and were perfect for the use in classrooms because of the big display and the included alarm. This workshop received an laudable feedback from students and teachers. Until now, teachers say the concentration of the pupil has improved because of the better breathing air quality.
The workshop “Fine dust” wanted to make people realize how dangerous a tiny, mostly unknown particle can be. The cities Linz, Vienna and Graz are often confronted with a, based on EUstandards, very high fine dust pollution, which causes health problems and can lead to EUpunishment payments. Within the presentation “Fine dust” we informed pupils about the issue of fine dust and how it affects our health. What is fine dust? How does it arise? What can we do against? We especially concentrated on the fine dust “crime scene” in Linz.
In the Workshop “Nutrition” we gave information about the daily fluid demand during learning and about the sugar content of different drinks and food. Furthermore we mentioned drinks and food supporting concentration. We especially wanted to promote our new fresh water dispenses, including new lines and high quality cleaners, just installed last summer, which were placed on every floor. We are happy to see that since February this year, an extremely successful process has been started with the target to make people buy healthy drinks and food and focus on healthy nutrition in general.