Last week, from November 12 to 14, the second transnational meeting of the GREENLIGHT Project was held: Generating Renewable Energy Education Network Leading Initiatives for Green & Harmonious Tomorrows, funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program, under reference number 2023-2-TR01-KA220-SCH-000180691.

The project is coordinated by the University of Muğla, Turkey, and has five other partners: a Turkish secondary school (Şehit Mehmet Çetin AIHL), a North Macedonian vocational school (DSU – RCSOO Nikola Karev Strumica), a Greek NGO (Liofyllo Social Cooperative Enterprise), a Portuguese school group (Agrupamento de Escolas Alberto Sampaio) and the University of Minho.

At the University of Minho, the project includes researchers from the Institute of Education and the School of Sciences, and is coordinated by Professor Laurinda Leite, from the Education Research Center of the Institute of Education.

The GREENLIGHT project aims, among other things, to help improve young people’s energy literacy, raise awareness about the implications of energy choices and educate about environmentally sustainable energy practices. To this end, teaching materials are being developed for use in secondary schools in the partner countries, and the first of these products – an e-book on renewable energies – was discussed during the meeting held at UMinho.

The partners were able to learn about the energy transition actions underway in the country at a session attended by representatives of Braga City Council, DST Solar and Érre Technology, which had supported the application. They were also able to visit the Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S) at the University of Minho, and the Alberto Sampaio Secondary School and observe some laboratory activities related to renewable energies that are carried out in Physics and Chemistry classes.

The Presidents of the Organic Units involved in the project (Professors Beatriz Pereira and José Manuel Méijome), who were present at the opening session, and the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Professor Eugénio C. Ferreira, who was present at the certificate-giving session, were unanimous in recognizing the importance of the project in helping to educate young people about environmentally sustainable energy choices and practices.

The next meeting is expected to take place in June 2025, in Greece.

More information about the GREENLIGHT Project is available at: www.projectgreenlighteu.com