Register now for OPEN HOUSE 2025
4. December 2024
EU Urban Wastewater Directive adopted in April
13. December 2024
Educational project „WASoMI Lab“ launched
With the help of start-up funding from the E.ON Climate Fund of the E.ON Foundation, we are getting started with our educational project WASoMI Lab. We are creating an indoor and outdoor learning space for water without microplastics.
© Wasser 3.0
More visibility and appreciation for our water
Water is part of our everyday lives. Each of us encounters it every day, whether brushing our teeth, washing, rinsing, drinking, or bathing. Many children already know that water is vital for plants, animals and humans. Nevertheless, many children and adults use water carelessly without realising that drinking water cannot be taken for granted. Water is the basis of all life. It is therefore important to give this resource more importance and appreciation and to protect it together.
Full speed ahead for water without microplastics
‘As an interdisciplinary team of experts on a mission for clean water and water without microplastics, it is our statutory mission to share knowledge and make it accessible to the next generation in the simplest and most accessible way possible. At WASoMI Lab, everything revolves around our most important resource. We start with students and teachers at the level of water and work our way deeper into the subject matter to the global pollution of our waters by microplastics,’ explains the author of “Rebellin des Wassers” and project manager Dr Katrin Schuhen.
WASoMI Lab offers solutions
‘WASoMI stands for water without microplastics and summarises all of our educational activities,’ explains Katrin Schuhen. ‘At the centre of WASoMI Lab is active participation in microplastic mapping. This involves analysing regional waters for microplastics. The pupils become an active part of the data collection. Using the Wasser 3.0 app, the analysed data from their water sample is visualised in the Global Map of Microplastics. This map can be accessed at any time from anywhere in the world. But that's not all: throughout the year, interactive stations make it possible to address the topic of water without microplastics in the classroom in various areas. The content is up-to-date, solution-orientated and aims to help pupils understand and motivate them to protect our water.’
How much microplastic is in 1 Liter of industrial wastewater? © Wasser 3.0
Relevance - transfer - long-term = accelerated impact
Pupils also help out at the municipal sewage treatment plant, like here when taking samples © Wasser 3.0
Developments and trends, including water scarcity, water pollution, the plastic and microplastic crisis, and the climate crisis, are packaged and passed on in ‘encouraging formats’. Pupils move to the center of the action. Working on their positioning, their connection to the element of water and their ego strength play just as much a role as the motivating and activating dialogue with the researchers.
WASoMI Lab focuses on creating positive experiences that one remembers for a long time and leads to a better way of dealing with oneself and the environment,’ says Schuhen. Train-the-trainer webinars for teachers are offered for this purpose. Live dates are also being planned.
We have big plans
It's hard to overlook the fact that we have big plans. The start-up funding from the E.ON Foundation is an important building block. However, continuity and a long-term perspective are even more important. And for this we are looking for sponsors and donors who will support our educational work as partners in mission. Help us to disseminate knowledge and act as impact accelerators to help us achieve a direct, measurable impact. If we know where the hotspots of microplastics are, then we can take action. With avoidance and prevention strategies - to protect our environment and our health. With added value for society.
About the E.ON Foundation
The E.ON Foundation is the corporate foundation of E.ON SE - it operates as an independent company and promotes and runs projects in the field of energy and society. In particular, the E.ON Foundation aims to rethink the transformation to a climate-neutral society - in a broad, networked, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral way. The collection, processing and evaluation of data on people's attitudes and preferences regarding social change play a decisive role in this. On the other hand, the E.ON Foundation relies on close cooperation with local alliance partners and on local event formats in which different stakeholders and communities discuss the challenges and needs of the energy and sustainability transition in projects and labs.
