Oranje Energie developed a radical, sharp cut plan for the transition to clean energy through bundling talents and experience in Amsterdam communities. 12 year old children are very motivated to take action for positive change. Pupils from 10 schools are challenged to use their talents to realise an energy project in their community.
Oranje Energie helped to build a strong network of 14 energy cooperatives and 300 frontrunners all over Amsterdam. The 150 energy breakfasts, organised the last 8 years, resulted in a strong coalition of 1500 people. Working on the goal Amsterdam Frontrunner Clean Energy in 2025. This so-called distributed network comes into a new phase. A phase of spreading our experiences. A new approach has been tested: schoolchildren, longing for action, take the lead into balanced, safe communities around their school by executing clean energy projects.
Further explanation
At the Geert Groote School we developed a method to work out an energy project within the Donut Economy theory of Kate Raworth: 20 lessons for 12 year old children. Our Donut Day (follow the link).
Three years in a row we experienced an energy explosion around these lessons. The children, their parents, grandparents and the organisations in the community all very eagerly offer their talents and expertise for a thriving planet. With the help of Cloverleaf we will spread this approach to 10 Amsterdam communities. And share the experience.
In this way we address the following challenges: with every new project we offer an inspiring alternative one day a week, and so diminish the shortage of teachers; the quality of the schooling improves, because we connect the children with the community outside the school; the community members share their expertise and offer a safe environment for the children in the neighborhood; the children link their talent to an urgent issue the community wants to address, a Donut Economy related question. With every Donut Day more sentient beings live in the sweet part of the Donut.
oranjeenergie.nl 