Around five thousand students in Jacarei will take part in the laboratory-truck campaign that will run until October 4 and is part of the Good Energy in Schools project, organized by EDP, an energy distributor in Vale do Paraiba, Alto do Tietê and North Coast of Sao Paulo regions. The initiative addresses electricity safety and efficiency issues using playful and entertaining activities to teach primary school students.

When they visit the laboratory-truck, students will take part in a series of experiments and gain practical experience in several areas, such as protecting natural resources, the different types of energy generation, how to stay safe when flying kites near the power grid and how to make the best use of electrical equipment.

São José dos Campos was the first city in the Vale do Paraiba to benefit from the 2018/19 Project cycle which is now heading to Jacarei. Around 110 thousand students from 26 cities in concession areas managed by the company will benefit from the program. “The truck is always popular among youngsters because the lessons are presented in a light-hearted, fun way,” said Luciano Cavalcante, executive manager at EDP.

After visiting the laboratory-truck, participants receive a kit containing a comic book, stickers with advice on energy saving and a miniature Good Energy truck that can be assembled in the classroom. The project will also present the Stop Wasting Electricity Puppet Show, a new attraction to emphasize the concepts students are shown.

The project included a 40-hour course for 47 teachers from 11 schools around the city to ensure they can take full advantage of the material presented and provide guidance on teaching methods for the specific subjects the project addresses.

The project is part of the company’s Energy Efficiency Program (PEE); it uses the PROCEL Education methodology and is regulated by ANEEL (National Electrical Energy Agency).

Check out the attractions featured in the laboratory-truck:

Interactive panel and model home - a panel showing the main rooms and household appliances, simulating energy usage;

Van der Graff Generator - has a hair-raising effect on anyone who touches the dome while insulated from earth, as their hair becomes electrified with charges of the same polarity, which in turn repel one another;

Conductive and insulating materials - demonstrating that the path of an electrical circuit does not need to be made entirely of metal, but can include other conductive material;

Plasma Globe - an experiment demonstrating how a person can be an electrical conductor;

Nerve Test - the challenge is to complete the course without touching the wire. If the ring touches the wire, the circuit will close and trigger a light and a buzzer;

Manual Generator - students pedal a bicycle that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy. The energy produced lights up several LED light bulbs;

Solar Energy Panel - A photovoltaic cell captures solar energy which is transformed into electrical energy. The energy this produces will spin a colored disc, also known as a Newton disc, which creates a visual effect as it spins.

Tariff Flags Stoplight - Tariff Flags are signposted on a stoplight to streamline the learning experience and indicate the current month's tariff flag.

The projected visited the following schools in Jacarei

EMEIF Roberto Donizete de Souza

EMEIF Jean Jacques Rousseau

EMEI São Silvestre

EMEF Prof. Maria Regina Cachute

EMEF Prof. Aristeu José Turci

EMEIF Prof.  Tarcísio Francisco Barbosa

EMEF Prof. Beatriz Junqueira da S. Santos 

About EDP

EDP has over 20 years’ experience and is one of the biggest private-sector companies operating across the entire value chain. The Company has over 10,000 direct and indirect staff and is involved in Energy Transmission, Sales and Services. It also operates 15 hydro power plants and one thermal power station. Its Distribution area serves around 3.4 million customers in Sao Paulo and Espírito Santo. The Company recently acquired a stake in CELESC, based in Santa Catarina. In Brazil, the company is noted for its Innovation, Governance and Sustainability and has been included in the B3 Business Sustainability Index (BSI) for 12 consecutive years.