Berlin schools honored for climate protection projects

Illustrative image

Thirteen schools in Berlin will be allowed to call themselves "Climate Schools" in the future.

As part of this year's competition for climate protection and climate adaptation, organized by the Senate's Education and Climate Protection Administration in collaboration with Gasag AG, twelve projects at thirteen schools were recognized.

Musical based on "The Last Snowflake"

According to press releases from the organizers, the schools will receive prize money of 500 euros, and the participating students and teachers will be honored as "Berlin Climate Students" and "Berlin Climate Teachers." A total of 41 projects were submitted. Among the award recipients is the Lemgo Elementary School in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. There, the music theater club produced a musical centered on "the last snowflake." The jury's statement noted that the project impressively demonstrated "that climate is a cross-cutting issue that must ultimately be taken into account in every subject and area of society."

Greening, optimization of building systems, sustainable mobility: Wide range of project ideas

The elementary school on Koppenplatz in Mitte has turned its schoolyard into a green space and uses plants to store CO₂ and provide shade. At the Paul-Löbe-Schule in Reinickendorf, a student-run company was founded to promote lower energy consumption. The building systems there are continuously being optimized, and the school’s energy flows and consumption are being tracked and analyzed to identify potential savings. Other projects focused on sustainable mobility, exploring a lake near the school, and creating a habitat for sand lizards.

Addressing climate protection and climate adaptation in a practical way

"This is how climate protection becomes tangible in everyday school life," said Ute Bonde (CDU), Senator for Climate Protection. Katharina Günther-Wünsch (also CDU), Senator for Education, noted that the competition provides important impetus for the development of the entire school. "Students deepen their knowledge, develop their own ideas, learn to work as a team and take on responsibility." Teachers have the opportunity to address important challenges such as climate protection and climate adaptation in a practical way.