Be mobile - environmentally friendly, of course!
Projects at the Höhere Technische Bundeslehranstalt Vöcklabruck show how environmentally friendly mobility can work. Read here about the commitment of this Upper Austrian Ecolabel school in the field of ecologically responsible transport - which focuses on the good old bicycle.
"The topic of sustainability should and must be reflected in everyday teaching. Due to this demand and the impetus given by the project team 'Austrian Ecolabel', teachers have integrated the topic of environment, health and climate protection into their lessons and also discussed and debated it when the occasion arose. In addition to technical subjects such as design, materials and production engineering, machine elements and materials testing, this was also done in general education subjects," says Director DI Gernot Weissensteiner happily. He heads the Höhere Technische Bundeslehranstalt Vöcklabruck. And he is justifiably proud that the school has been allowed to use the Austrian Ecolabel since October 2021.
Mobility new! The "HTLVB Ecolabel" team, coordinated by DI Richard Lechner, played a major role in obtaining this state seal of quality. The team continues to do highly committed work at the school - especially in the important area of "environmentally friendly mobility". The students have dealt intensively with questions in this area in projects - and have developed remarkable prototypes for mobility. Some of these activities within the framework of the Ecolabel are presented here:
Queen and King of Green Miles" competition
Pupils and teachers did without cars, motorbikes and buses and came to school by bicycle or on foot. The CO2-free kilometres thus collected were entered into a list via an app. The current ranking - i.e. the Queen / the Kind of the day - was displayed on digital information boards in the HTL. The winner received a mountain bike as a prize at the end of the school year 2021/22.
HTLVB Earth Run - fundraising run
The idea behind it: Running together for the environment - and of course for your own health and fitness. Pupils sprinted through the city, sponsors donated one euro for each completed kilometre. This required a great deal of personal initiative: every runner - and not only schoolchildren - had to find a sponsor in the run-up to the Run for Charity. The money collected was used for climate protection projects.
Plant trees!
The redesign of the outdoor areas around the school building is a major concern of the school community in order to improve the quality of teaching. Good ideas for this were provided by a project of the pupils. Among other things, they suggested planting trees according to the motto "7 trees for 7 departments (at HTL Vöcklabruck)". Result: A detailed, feasible plan for the school's outdoor area is now available.
Load trailer for an e-bike - keyword: "Upcycling".
Clever pupils designed a load trailer for an e-bike. Old bicycle forks and tyres were used for the chassis. Loads of up to 50 kg can be transported in the easy-to-handle trailer. The prototype is convincing!
Bicycle technology in the spotlight
Other school projects also dealt with constructions on and around the bicycle: With the Taxi-E-Bike - "I'll pick you up", a bicycle is transformed into a tandem with the help of an adapter. Photovoltaics for an e-bike load trailer (supplying the e-bike with energy) and a bicycle repair station (where tools are provided) are exemplary additions to the offer.
Then Shared Mobility: Under the motto "I'll give you a lift", teachers organise carpooling among themselves. With the HTLVB E-Scooter, a shared mobility concept is realised in the school grounds.
The number of feasible ideas for ecological mobility is surprising! With all these ideas, the students and teachers of HTL Vöcklabruck are on the right - environmentally friendly - path! And yes: "We are here with the bike!" Applause! Applause!