Following on from last week's 'One Week' (9 January -13 January), we look back at how the College got involved throughout the week, as well as find out more about the project and what can be done moving forward.
One Week is an initiative where people can come together to go above and beyond to save as much energy as possible in one week. Speaking after the week, its creator, Dr Will Hearsey, a GP from the Hart Surgery in Henley, said:
"Thank you so much to students, teachers and parents alike for getting on board with One Week and hopefully, it's made a real difference. It will serve as a fantastic example of what can be achieved in future One Weeks."
At the College, the week began with an announcement in Monday's assembly from Shiplake's Head of Eco-Committee, Mr Jack Cooper, as well as two members of the committee, Martha Berry and James Middlehurst. In it, they encouraged all members of the College community to be mindful of their actions, from switching lights off in unused rooms, to printing less, if not at all.
For example, if every household in the UK turned a single 50W light bulb off for four hours longer than usual every day for a week, this would save 34.5 million kWH of power - something that would save 55,328 barrels of oil. Furthermore, switching a bulb to an LED energy efficient one could save enough energy equivalent to 300,000 cars on the road.
Throughout the week, teachers got involved by going tech-free in their lessons. From using the tables as whiteboards to even drawing and annotating on classroom windows, there were many creative ways on display in which these lessons were delivered.
In a slightly more humorous take, pupils and staff, including the Headmaster, got involved with a video showing what can be done to make a difference. Little things, if enough people follow suit, can make an enormous difference. You can watch that video, as well as clips from a tech-free lesson, in the Flickr album below.
Speaking after One Week, Mr Cooper, said:
"The whole week has been a success with both students and staff getting involved. As it has been said many times before, little things can all make a difference.
Among staff, it created conversations about printing and the use of technology in the classroom, and I have seen students actively challenging teachers about reducing waste and turning switches off.
Shiplake's Eco-Committee is a driven team of pupils, who hopefully will make One Week have long-lasting impacts."
Thank you to everyone who got involved. It was fantastic to see pupils and staff making a conscious effort to reduce their energy usage.
Sq.jpg/Prefects2024_25(1)Sq__500x500.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Shiplake's Young Leaders")
