Ellen’s energy adventure takes children and young people on a journey into the future of energy
In recent years, energy has been a frequently discussed topic, both in the media and in many Finnish homes. Helen has a long track record in energy education. In 2023, we invested in energy education to a particularly significant extent. Our goal is to make energy understandable to people of all ages, as well as to mitigate concerns related to this subject.
In the spring, we published Ellen’s Energy Adventure, a children’s book which talks about energy and the energy transition in the form of a story. The first step towards the creation of the book was our workshop with the pupils of Munkkiniemi primary school, in which we learned how much children understand about energy and how the topic should be discussed with them. We distributed the book to our customers in printed form and as an e-book and also published it as an audiobook. The book is available in Finnish and English.
As well as the book, we produced related learning materials, which provide early childhood educators and teachers with a way to talk to children about energy and the energy transition. We have now published three editions of the materials and, by the end of 2023, approximately 20,000 copies had been ordered.
In Rauma, learning materials have been used in the multi-disciplinary learning modules for pupils in grade 2. Teacher Johanna Saarela is happy that the learning materials support the current national curriculum.
“Teachers need support material for teaching that contain current and up-to-date information. Energy is a difficult and technical topic and there is scarcely any child-oriented material available. The learning materials helped me teach topics included in the current national curriculum in a manner that was meaningful for the children,” says Saarela.
Aimed at pre-primary education and grades 1–6 in basic education, the learning materials include the book, a work-book and teacher’s materials.
“The world of school has changed in such a way that we need more diverse teaching methods and especially material that supports visual learning more than before. Ellen’s Energy Adventure engaged the pupils deeply and the topic was addressed in a way that was simple and suitable for children, and even climate change was approached gently.”
In addition to producing the learning materials and the children’s book, we organised two children’s events open to the public in the spring and summer. The events attracted a total of 5,300 visitors interested in energy. We brought the main character of the children’s book to life with an AI-generated virtual influencer. We also organised a Minecraft Energy Village challenge.
The Ellen’s Energy Adventure children’s book received the Energy Genius of the Year 2023 award from the Energy Authority, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and Motiva.
Read more: Ellen’s Energy Adventure