Highlights of the “Flick the Switch” Project being Implemented at Skaudvilė Special Boarding School.

In February 2010, the students of Skaudvilė Special Boarding School enrolled in the European project “Flick the Switch”. The project objectives and tasks, the project “leader” Flick the Switch, and his gadget friends were introduced to the school community. The students debated and suggested the project implementation measures for the whole school. Primarily, the entire school community agreed upon saving electricity and water. The three most diligent school students were selected to observe if lights were left on when not need and, if necessary, to turn them off. These students were presented with markers with the inscription “Save” displayed on them. This energy saving action was announced to all students and teachers.
 

The Poster Competition was another activity of the project that our school took part in with students designed energy saving posters. We organized an exhibition of their drawings at school whereupon the two best posters were chosen for participation in the regional stage of the “Flick the Switch” poster competition.
 

The students attended a presentation given by employees of Lithuanian electric energy suppliers “VST”. They explained how electricity can be both, a “friend” and a “foe”, described the hazards which lurk in playing or messing around with electricity and also gave advise on the ways to saving energy. During the lesson, the children pledged their friendship to electrical power by giving fingerprinting and promised to save electricity and not to monkey around with it.
 

Class teachers assisted their students in collecting material on the causes and consequences of global warming. The students learned that one of the contributing factors to this is the heat emitted by light bulbs and that they could also contribute to global warming mitigation by means of their petit occupations. During class hours, the students played Flick games which taught to reduce energy loss and efficiently methods of using electricity in school, school dormitory and at home.
 

After school, the students and their tutors collected information about alternative green energy. One of the most popular types of such energy is wind power. The students then made windmills.
 

The school electric meter record was another activity that was under the spotlight of children. The students recorded monthly electric meter readings and compared the data obtained prior to the project and during the course of the project. They were very glad to see the results of their energy saving and to the delight of the children, the estimated monetary value showed that a considerable amount of money had been saved.
 

Due to participation in this project, the students broadened their theoretical and mental outlook, deepened their knowledge by engaging in interesting activities, used the project website where they found interesting and clearly presented information, and overall were happy to have contributed to both the well-being of the school and the solution to the global warming issue.