School programmes
One learns in one’s own way; however, learning is most effective when it takes place through experiences, play, and engaging stories. At the Industrial–Ecological–Museum–Educational Centre (IEMIC) in Velenje, students can learn how coal mining developed in Slovenia — from its earliest beginnings to the present day.
Industry also developed rapidly alongside mining. Factories were established, along with new settlements and even a town. However, rapid development has had a substantial impact on the natural environment. Consequently, the inhabitants of the Šalek Valley began to consider how to live and work in the most environmentally friendly manner and to safeguard nature for future generations.
At the Slovenian Coal Mining Museum, through engaging stories, exhibitions and experiences, you will discover the past, understand the present and reflect on the future. The knowledge you acquire here will continue to benefit you for many years to come — both at school and in life.
A number of educational programmes are available, from which you may select the one that most interests you.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
IEMIC – Industrial, Ecological, Museum, and Educational Centre
Within the IEMIC framework, you may choose from the following programmes:
- a visit to the Multimedia Slovenian Coal Mining Museum;
- educational sessions with a pedagogical member of staff from CŠOD (National Centre for School and Outdoor Education); the day educational centre’s programme is listed among the programmes of the National Centre for School and Outdoor Education in Ljubljana;
- educational sessions on the environment with experts from the Eurofins Institute for Ecological Research;
- educational sessions within the framework of the programme “Between the Underground and Cosmos”, in collaboration between the Slovenian Coal Mining Museum and the Nordung Centre – the Herman Potočnik Noordung Centre for Space Technologies in Vitanje.
The Eurofins Programme
NATURAL SCIENCES DAY IN THE ŠALEK VALLEY
Educational sessions of your choice (2 school hours)
Energy – Ecology
The Šalek Valley is a distinctive place where one can learn how human activity has affected the natural environment — and how humans subsequently rehabilitated formerly devastated areas; these now form an attractive tourist destination centred on Velenje Beach, which has long been recognised as Slovenia’s best natural bathing site.
For many years, coal mining and the production of electricity placed a substantial burden on the environment. The air, the soil and the water were contaminated, and the landscape underwent significant alteration.
Today the story is entirely different. With careful measures and considerable expertise, a specialised ecological remediation has been undertaken, thereby enabling the natural environment to recover. As part of the programme, visitors learn, in an engaging and comprehensible manner, what went wrong in the past and how nature can be protected through responsible conduct.
On site, students visit the renovated and fully restored areas around the Škale and Velenje Lakes, where plants and animals are once again flourishing. Upon request, the programme may be further enriched by a circular tour of the Šalek Valley and a visit to the Družmirje Lake.
The programme is led by specialists from Eurofins, who are happy to respond to questions and to demonstrate why environmental protection is so important for our future.
Programme Between the Underground and the Cosmos
Educational sessions organised in collaboration between the Slovenian Mining Museum and the Noordung Centre – the Herman Potočnik Noordung Centre for Space Technologies in Vitanje (5 school hours)
Deep beneath the Earth’s surface or high above it — time and again, humanity is confronted with extreme conditions and a sense of isolation beyond the familiar environment of daily life.
The students will briefly assume the role of real miners at the Slovenian Coal Mining Museum. They will don mining equipment, descend 160 metres below ground by lift, and embark on an exhilarating journey through the former drifts of the Velenje coal mine. During the tour, visitors will discover how life and work were carried out deep underground and experience the sensations of darkness, silence, and confined spaces within the subterranean world.
After exploring the underground, they will embark on a journey into space — to the Noordung Centre, the Herman Potočnik Noordung Centre for Space Technologies — where, under expert guidance, they will learn about the mysteries of the universe and the ideas of the Slovenian visionary Herman Potočnik Noordung. The students will learn how people envisage life in outer space and how humans might live in conditions that are inhospitable to them.
In the course of their creative work, they will, drawing on experiences of subterranean and extraterrestrial environments, investigate, reflect upon, and develop their own ideas as to how humans might one day live — in tunnels, on other planets or aboard space stations.