Here at Mitsubishi Electric, we place a great importance on educating the next generation about climate change and sustainability.
This is the exact purpose of the Learning Curve, a pioneering, award-winning, educational programme which aims to teach the energy consumers of tomorrow all about renewable technologies.
By demonstrating how the way we use energy in our buildings impacts on our environment, we hope to raise awareness of energy efficiency and to show that individual behaviour can make a real difference.
Educating the energy consumers of tomorrow is a great place to start
Sian Bird Marketing graduate
Linked to the curriculum
My colleague Jenny Maskrey launched the programme in 2011, and it has proven to be extremely beneficial and popular among both students and teachers.
Thousands of pupils have already taken part in the three-hour lessons, either using our interactive classrooms and live renewable technology in our showrooms, or by opting to teach the topic in a school setting, led by school staff.
The programme is divided into four sessions that run throughout the half-day event.
Pupils begin with an introduction to renewable energy, how much some of their favourite everyday electrical items consume, and the importance of conserving energy.
This is followed by sessions helping teach them how to reduce water waste and then going into how both solar panels generate electricity and heat pumps generate heat.
As major manufacturers in some of these pivotal renewable technologies, we hold the UK’s energy challenge close to our heart.
We want to help the nation achieve its climate goals and believe educating the energy consumers of tomorrow is a great place to start.
Why is this so important?
While climate change and the accelerating threats of extreme weather capture the headlines, the bigger issue is that humans are simply not living within the earth’s capacity to regenerate.
Until more recent years the resources and opportunities for children and young people seemed endless, however there is now increasing anxiety about the state of the natural environment and the economic, social and health prospects for current and future generations.
Profound shifts in both thinking and the way we act are required to overcome the current challenges and for everyone’s ongoing prosperity.
New ways of building sustainable economies are vitality important. Introducing children to these values from a young age will ease what is a necessary shift to becoming a more globally responsible citizen – one who can make more informed decisions whilst considering the long-term consequences of their actions.
Education at all levels has long been promoted to achieve the broad and deep social transformation required for sustainable futures.
In 2021 the International Commission of the Futures of Education stated that ‘fundamental changes in curriculum are necessary if we are to build a regenerative education for a common humanity’.
What can I do as a business?
This is where The Learning Curve initiative comes into play. We host free sessions at our Training centres where we help pupils understand the importance of adopting the ‘3 R’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’.
As a business, you can support this by either funding transport for a school visit to our site, or run the educational programme at your own office.
Promoting the learning curve has many benefits to you as a business.
It will improve your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), can help generate positive publicity and media opportunities, and will give you the opportunity to invent in tomorrow’s generation, while increasing understanding of renewable technologies.
How can I get involved as a school?
If your school is interested in attending The Learning Curve, please contact us, as we hope to reach many more schools over the next year.
We recognise that schools may not always be able to travel to us, so we can also provide teachers with assistance in teaching this topic in their own school environment.
We supply booklets, lesson plans, and loan the necessary equipment. We will deliver and collect all of this for you free of charge.
We've found that splitting classes into three groups, which rotate throughout the sessions, allows for a more hands-on learning experience. You would only need to supply IT equipment/presentation facilities, a coat/jumper, pencils, ice and warm water.
If you have any questions about attending the sessions or receiving some of the kits, then please use this link.
Sian Bird is a marketing graduate
