The Regional Secretary for Education and Training unveiled a plaque at the Santa Maria Basic Education and Secondary School on Thursday to celebrate the victory of a group of 8th form students in the contest “Rock in Rio Solar School.”

The Santa Maria Basic Education and Secondary School was awarded in the contest “Rock in Rio Solar School” with a project designed to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption at a social support institution.

The project presented by the Santa Maria Basic Education and Secondary School, developed in a partnership with the Santa Maria “Ecoteca” (Environmental Awareness Raising Centre) and the Regional Energy Agency, involved nineteen 8th form students and focused on the Recolhimento de Santa Maria Madalena, a private social solidarity institution which shelters nearly 20 elderly people.

During the visit to the school, Lina Mendes said that the distinction of this project is not only “an asset the for school, but also “for all the educational community in the Azores.”

This project estimates the reduction of CO2 emissions through the installation of photovoltaic system for the production of energy and the change of light bulbs for more efficient ones.

Raising awareness for energy, environmental and social support issues, which includes the creation of a website and a video about the Recolhimento de Santa Madalena that is located in the former convent in Vila do Porto, is another major goal of the project.

The schools that have presented the best projects, which includes the Santa Maria Basic Education and Secondary School, will receive 50 t-shirts and tickets for the Rock in Rio Lisboa 2010 Festival in addition to a photovoltaic system and a solar water heating system.

The project’s coordinator at the Santa Maria School, teacher Ruan Nolasco added that photovoltaic system will be installed at school for 15 years and the solar water heating system, to be installed in the gym, becomes property of the school. 

The “Rock in Rio Solar School” contest is integrated in the UN Decade for Sustainable Development and in the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, having registered 291 applications from 251 schools across the country.