The Energy Bootcamp, organised by the Galp Foundation, took place on May 28th and 29th, in Matosinhos, at the CEiiA headquarters. It brought together fifteen finalist projects on the World Energy Day. The event was attended by around 200 students and teachers. The President of the City Council of Matosinhos, Luísa Salgueiro and the Regional Education Delegate for the Northern Region, João Gonçalves also attended the event, as institutional representative of the State Secretariat and the Ministry of Education.
After the presentation of fifteen projects, five per category, the jury elected the winners. The categories were as follows: Missão Up, dedicated to primary schoolers, Power Up aimed at junior high school students; and Switch Up, for high school students.
MISSÃO UP CATEGORY WINNER
“Os vigilantes do plástico” (Plastic Waste Watchers), Escola Básica de Águeda (Águeda Primary School)
This group, consisting of 26 students, focused on the environmental impact of plastic waste in the oceans and, consequently, in the food chain. To tackle the problem, they designed a biodegradable lunchbox, made of cardboard, which eliminates the pollution caused by bags that are disposed of every day at school. The making of the lunchbox, besides replacing the plastic bag, allowed these young students to bring this discussion home and raise the awareness of as many people as possible.
POWER UP CATEGORY WINNER
“Paper-Plants-Life”, International School of Palmela
This project consists of the production of recycled paper that contains incorporated seeds. The idea is to value the importance of paper and use it as a natural fertilizer for the plant growth process. A problem of excessive paper waste was identified in the school, due to overprinting of materials that are sometimes rendered useless. The group deemed it urgent to respond to this waste issue by creating a workable and sustainable solution.
SWITCH UP CATEGORY WINNER
“Green Water Solutions”, ATEC - Academia de Formação (Palmela)
The solution presented by these four students is based on the use of water flow from school networks to generate electricity and increase energy efficiency. The product consists in water flowing through a turbine that when it rotates, will generate electricity which, in turn, can be stored or transmitted to electrical equipment used in a water distribution network.
The award-winning schools received prizes ranging from 1,000 to 7,000 Euros so that they can implement their projects.
