UK: Teesside Schools Participate in ‘Champions for Wind’ Initiative

Ten teachers from Teesside schools are set to become offshore wind energy “champions” having been selected to take part in a careers education initiative to boost local young people’s interest in pursuing opportunities in the expanding industry.

Launched by Forewind, development partner for the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm zone, working together with the Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA), ‘Champions for Wind’ was successfully initiatied in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire earlier this year with more than 600 students involved to date.

It has now been extended north and school teachers from Hartlepool, Redcar and Middlesbrough have been accepted for the initiative, which will enable them to produce tailored curriculum materials aimed at raising awareness amongst students of the full range of potential careers in, or related to offshore wind energy.

Together the 10 teachers form a network of school ‘champions’ from a variety of specialisms and subject areas including geography, science, mathematics, design and technology. They now have six months, and a bursary, to develop a programme specific to their students before it is delivered in the classroom, then rolled out to other schools in the Teesside catchment area.

Forewind General Manager, Lee Clarke said the teachers were all chosen from schools near to where the consortium’s second stage of offshore wind farms are planned to connect into the national grid in Teesside.

“It made sense for us to focus on the area around the onshore infrastructure for our development activities to ensure the nearby community is aware of the potential opportunities offshore wind may bring,” Dr Clarke said. “We hope it will boost the numbers of local young people interested in a career in the industry.”

The teachers will take part in a kick-off conference at the National STEM Centre in York with speakers from Forewind and The Crown Estate introducing the teachers to the UK offshore wind industry and the HETA team outlining the process. Teachers and students who benefitted from the first Champions programme will also be on hand to show examples of their work and give feedback on their experiences.

Director of Educational Programmes at HETA, Mike Cargill, said that the teachers would draw on their experience and expertise to develop engaging and innovative curriculum resources that will be disseminated within their own school and neighbouring cluster schools.

“The network approach is intended to provide a framework to support innovation and cross region school clusters,” he said. “Throughout the whole process a series of evaluation tasks will be carried out to measure the impact on teaching and learning.”

Teachers from schools throughout the region have been chosen including: St Hilds, Hartlepool PRU, St Peters Catholic College, Oakfields School, Redcar and Cleveland College, Byedales School, Beverley School for Autism, Unity City Academy and Dyke House Sports and Technology College.

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Press release, October 17, 2012; Image: Forewind