Powerpod Peer Education Project

What?

Young people (11-20) are trained in peer education and renewable energy. The peer educators take their workshops (and the Powerpod) round schools, events and festivals.

What are the workshops?

You decide! The group has a stock of workshops, which the peer educators are continually adapting. All the workshops are hands-on, including: making wind turbines, a solar powered motor, climate change games and testing your own power with the energy bike.

 Who's in charge?

A number of the peer educators are the management committee, who make the decisions on workshops, which festivals the Powerpod should go to, any changes in designs.

How do I get involved?

Click here!

Winners of the 2007 Young Scot Award Environmental Section.

How did the Powerpod Project come about?

See the comic strip here!

The idea was concieved at a Woodcraft International Camp in 2004, then funding from the Scottish Executive's Sustainable Action Fund allowed the building of the trailer. Right from the start, young people worked together with students from Heriot-Watt University to plan and design the Powerpod trailer itself. The designs were taken by the students and built as part of a final year university project. 

The first group of peer-educators took a trip to the Centre of Alternative Technology where they learnt the scientific background and the technical aspects of the Powerpod. On their return they devised workshops to appeal to children and young people of their age. This led to a planned workshop schedule delivered to other Woodcraft groups in the area.

New peer educators are now coming on board from schools and groups throughout Edinburgh.

“ The workshop working group consisted of all young people with a couple of adult helpers. We created the workshops, worked out budgets, bought equipment and ran the workshops ourselves. We had equal say in other parts of design and management as well. I’m really proud of our group and what we’ve managed to achieve.” - Robyn Riddoch, a young person involved in the Powerpod.

Workshops vary from tours of the Powerpod, workshops on designing water turbines, power from potatoes and lemons, wind energy workshops and role play and interviewing using radio and video.

The Powerpod continues to tour Scotland offering peer-education workshops on renewable energy to schools, colleges, public events, conferences and more. They are also called upon as a power source – because renewable energy does work!

 For information on Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk click here.