Energiadi how to join the initiative?

Energiadi is a contest where the schools compete in production of sustainable electric power by means of Bike Energy System (dynamo connected to bicycles). What is more, it is also a social networking project which awards the capacity to involve: the schools are the starting point, as they reach out to the families, institutions and associations that are asked to join the game for the common goal of pedaling together – which is an activity that does not only educate, but also sensitizes the community on a sustainable development.

What are the new issues for this year?

This year the Energiadi is enriched with a learning kit “All for One, One for All” consisting of detailed sheets on the issue of energy and sustainability and of an amusing laboratory activity presenting how the electric current is produced in the European Union.

The 2015 edition in Milan features some important novelties. There has been established important cooperation with a non-profit organization You Able, an association dealing with health protection of the disabled in Italy and abroad, which has provided some hand-devices and thus they are accessible also to disabled users, who are incapable of pedaling, but who in turn are full of energy and are willing to participate. This body also organizes meetings with disabled athletes which offer the users to try a real handbike.

Another novelty regards the use of electric current produced by the schools. The Social Ice association, which promotes the Energiadi, has joined the initiative of ARES (Autismo, Ricerca e Sviluppo – Autism, Research and Development) Foundation to celebrate together the UN’s World Autism Awareness Day with a campaign “Light it up blue”: on the occasion of the 3^rd edition of the Autism Awareness Day in Ticino, ARES Foundation along with Energiadi proposes and initiative called “You too can pedal to switch on the Blu” which will gather numerous cycler on March 28, 2015, on the main square of Lugano in order to accumulate energy that will then will be used to light the city hall in the blue color. The schools in Milan will give their contribution, gathered in the past weeks, precisely at the events of Energiadi. Also by means of these initiatives Energiadi shows the importance of its own effort to transform sustainable energy in social energy.

Last but not least, new aspects regard also the prizes in the 2015 edition. They are about the technology to help the schools bridge the gap related to the shortage of tools. This will be possible owing to the cooperation with Assinfonet which will offer the winners a prize pool of a total of about €20,000.

What are the figures regarding the previous editions?

The first edition, held in Milan in the school year of 2012-2013, was attended by 18 primary schools involving a total of 4,500 pupils for 450 hours of educational activity and over 10,000 people (about 5,500 children and 5,000 adults) who attended 300 hours of activities open to the public, which engaged 54 sports, cultural, music and recreational associations that allowed production of a total of 60,000 watt-hours.