Celebrating 2 years of helping young people prepare for life in a net zero world
An award-winning collaboration between Dogger Bank Wind Farm, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and specialist education providers is celebrating two years of helping young people to prepare for life in a net zero world.
The partnership was unveiled in summer 2021, as part of a £1milllion package of investment in the wind farm’s key communities during its construction.
The wind farm project worked with education providers in East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar & Cleveland and South Tyneside, to understand how young people in each area could be benefit from investment in enhanced science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) provision.
Education experts at East Riding of Yorkshire Council created a bespoke programme that would provide access for hundreds of teachers across primary schools and maintained early years settings and will reach many thousands of children over the life of the programme.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
“The funding from Dogger Bank Wind Farm is helping us to transform science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers learning in our primaries and maintained early years settings, with new opportunities delivered by external delivery partners.
“This includes STEM-focused professional development for staff and a chance for schools and nurseries to work towards a science quality mark, which is a pioneering step for early years settings. There are still opportunities for teachers to take advantage of this award-winning partnership as we work together to raise aspirations and bring STEM to life.”
The innovative investment programme was recognised at the Humber Renewable Awards earlier this year, in the Renewable Education category. Find out more about this achievement here.
Community investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Lindsay Dougan, said:
“The East Riding programme provides an exemplar on how education and business can work together to ensure that children gain the skills needed for the jobs of the future.
“We appreciate the dedication of the schools and education providers in ensuring excellence STEM learning occurs across the region.
“The approach taken from this project has influenced communities across the globe on how to embed renewable energy and STEM into education including sharing learning with Australia and Japan.”
The East Riding programme is delivered in partnership with specialist providers, Complete Careers, Stem Learning and PSQM (Primary Science Quality Mark), who underpin and support professional development for teachers.
Image caption: Hornsea Nursey is one of the maintained early years settings in East Riding to take advantage of the STEM investment by Dogger Bank Wind Farm