The Repsol Foundation presented the Zinkers Awards to 34 schools around Spain for their sustainability projects

Press Release 10/06/2022 12:45
  • The Repsol Foundation announced the winners of the 1st Zinkers Awards at a gala held at the Royal Theater of Madrid.
  • The awards were presented to the winning schools in each of the 17 Autonomous Communities, as well as two primary and secondary schools receiving special mentions.
  • The 34 teachers of the winning projects, both from the 17 Autonomous Communities and the two schools that received special mentions, along with countless students from the winning  primary and secondary schools, enjoyed an exciting day in Madrid.
  • The Zinkers platform has more than 2,000 registered schools, 3,000 teachers, and 70,000 students ⁠— equal to 10% of the primary and secondary schools in Spain.
  • The awards ceremony was attended by the Repsol Chairman Antonio Brufau and the Secretary of State for Education José Manuel Bar.

Today, the Repsol Foundation presented the 1st Zinkers Awards to the winning schools. Zinkers is the Foundation's digital education platform with expert content for spreading awareness about the energy transition and climate change. More than 2,000 schools, 3,000 teachers, and 70,000 students all over Spain ⁠— 10% of primary and secondary schools in the country ⁠— are registered on the platform.

In order to be eligible for these awards, the participating schools had to demonstrate everything the students had learned from the Zinkers content on sustainability, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and the circular economy, among other topics.

A committee of experts in education, who analyzed the submitted documents and declarations, rated the candidates in this 1st edition of the Zinkers Awards. The work presented by the schools has been the result of a shared reflection where we find commitments, lessons learned, and even future actions to contribute to a more sustainable planet with the idea of transcending the limits of the classroom in order to raise awareness among more people and generate a greater impact beyond our immediate surroundings.

During the awards ceremony, the 17 winning primary and secondary schools were recognized, as well as two schools with special mentions, Conde Campillo (Cehegín, Murcia) and Pablo Neruda (Leganés, Madrid). The two special mentions will be awarded €15,000 to develop an innovative project for the methodological transformation of their school, as well as for fun and educational activities for students on topics in science and sustainability along with top speakers, artists, and influencers.

The ceremony was a unique experience for the 34 primary and secondary teachers that were able to attend the ceremony at the Royal Theatre of Madrid and who were able to share experiences with other winning schools from all over Spain.

The awards ceremony was attended by Repsol Chairman Antonio Brufau and the Secretary of State for Education José Manuel Bar Cendón.

Brufau highlighted the purpose of Zinkers as a leading digital platform in teaching energy and the energy transition to primary and secondary schools.

The secretary of state congratulated the winners for their "commendable work in spreading awareness and in planting the seeds to form good women and men that contribute to making the world a better, fairer, and more balanced place." He also thanked the Repsol Foundation for "its commitment to education", to sustainable development, and to the ecological transition.

Zinkers digital platform
 
Zinkers is the Repsol Foundation's digital education platform with content adapted to various educational levels for students from 6 to 16 years old that allows teachers to teach key content adapted to school curriculum on energy, climate change, air quality, sustainable mobility, circular economy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 

The program was designed together with experts in energy and education, like Chema Lázaro and Javier Espinosa, both National Prize for Education winners, and Juan Núñez, an educator specialized in educational innovation. Currently, there are more than 2,000 schools, 3,000 teachers, and 70,000 students ⁠— 10% of primary and secondary schools in Spain ⁠— registered on the platform.

Zinkers is committed to education as a fundamental tool for facing the challenges of the future on the basis of academic rigour and technological neutrality and in response to children's worries about improving their surroundings with actions that help to save the planet.