The Ynni Plant pilot project aimed to trial an energy Summer school for children to encourage children aged between 8 and 12 years old to take an interest in renewable energy (with an emphasis on hydropower), develop their understanding of the historical context, and increase their awareness a variety of projects under development in Gwynedd.

The project sought to demonstrate the following:

• A new model which engaged young children in order to increase their energy literacy in the context of local energy.
• Show growth in the renewable energy sector and highlight future career opportunities in the sector.
• Pilot different activities in order to measure their success in developing interest among young children in renewable energy.

Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig decided to trial Ysgol Ynni over the summer break in 2016, in one small area, to pilot the model of running green energy sessions for young children within rural communities. It was felt that piloting this model would be a great opportunity to learn and share best practice with other communities.

Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig also decided to appoint a local young person to assist with coordinating the sessions, as a way of offering further experience locally. We were very lucky to receive an application from Elin Williams to work on the Ysgol Ynni project over the summer.

A number of sessions were then held over the summer where the children developed an understanding of generating energy in a historical context as well as learning about green energy and an opportunity for children to take part in team building and problem solving activities along with orienteering with outdoor education instructors. The feedback received from the participants shows that each session was diverse and that the children learnt new skills in this field.