High School Students from Wuppertal Explore Sustainable Mobility in their Neighbourhood Are the hills and frequent rains in Wuppertal really a good excuse not to cycle to school? What drives mobility choices of young students and how do they want to live in the future? The CSCP is finding out in the “Climate protection for all” project. “What impacts do my personal daily mobility patterns have on the climate and on air quality in Wuppertal? How can I influence the development of my school and my neighboorhood? What’s my vision of Wuppertal 2030?” We asked and answered these and many other questions with a class of seven-graders and experts on mobility from the region. In a two-month pilot workshop series, the CSCP and the BOB Kulturwerk e.V. have been exploring sustainable mobility with a class of 7th graders of the Carl-Duisberg Gymnasium (CDG) in Wuppertal-Wichlinghausen. The students approached the topic from different angles. They documented their own mobility patterns and learned how much environmental impact they created. Based on this assessment, they discussed, for example, what kept them from cycling to school more often. They also got to know different alternatives to current modes of transportation and, for example, created visions of a car-free neighborhood that were later discussed in panel, where students assumed the roles of city officials, business owners, and other stakeholders. Students also visited and spoke with various local pioneers and initiatives that are working towards better cycling roads in Wuppertal or are developing prototypes of electric cars. One example are the Radbahnhof Wichlighausen and Wicked Woods, where they gained insights into bike repairs and rentals, as well as a brief introduction to the history of the Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal. They also got to try out a self-built electric car and discussed the advantages and costs of electric vehicles. During this pilot phase of the project and with the help of the inspiring and creative ideas of the CDG students, the CSCP has developed a workshop series and teaching materials on mobility, that we will develop further and implement with other classes at the CDG and other schools in Wuppertal in the course of the project. For further questions, please contact Carina Diederich. Photo by Tim Kohlen on Unsplash