After three consecutive years, the DBU-conferences »Kluge Köpfe für große Aufgaben« on the field of natural-scientific and technical environmental education have already a certain tradition. This year's event, in cooperation with the Federation of School laboratories and the National Academy of Science and Engineering acatech, took place in September at the Center for Environmental Communication (ZUK) in Osnabruck, dealing with the topic »Cleaner Production«.
Germany as center of innovation and environmental technology needs even in the future creative geniuses and inventors, as also creative scientists to maintain or to expand its pioneering role in environmental technology and thus contributing to global sustainable development. In its theoretical part, the conference is therefore mainly devoted to the discovering and inventing learning which promotes the technical and scientific creativity in children and adolescents.
In addition, more than ten DBU projects from the natural-scientific and technical environmental education on the topics of green chemistry, biochemical engineering, energy efficiency and resource and material efficiency were presented during the conference. Ulrike Peters, responsible for the topic, presented the new funding priority »Natural-scientific and technical environmental education and communication to promote environmental education of professionals for the environmental technology industry«. The initiative aims at reducing and closing gaps in the scientific and technical environmental education. Here, children and young people are introduced to current issues in environmental technology and research in educational institutions and in schools.
The conference presentations (in German) can be found at: www.dbu.de/550artikel31744_147.html
