Delivering Hydrogen Education in EU Schools [IT]

In the framework of the “Hydrogen in Schools” (HYSCHOOLS) project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, Abruzzo Region has created, together
with the other involved partners, educational and online resources on Hydrogen for use in secondary schools across the EU partner countries.

Participating partners are located in 6 different EU countries:

• United Kingdom: Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Center
• France: Université de Loraine ; Université de France Comté
• Belgium: Technifutur
• Romania: Energy Management Agency of Maramures
• Greece: Patras Science Park
• Italy: Region Abruzzo ; University of Perugia

Innovation Centre The aim is to provide teachers with increased confidence to teach students about Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology. Hydrogen based technology is one of the major players in the transition from a carbon based society to a sustainable development and a pollution-free future. As such, it should be introduced to new generations in an educational environment as soon as possible. The resources developed address teacher's needs, and will buil on the confidence of teachers to bring the hydrogen topic into the curriculum.

The project adresses several issues:

• Lack of understanding: this can prevent teachers to adress this topic in class. Thanks to the ressources produced, teachers are provided with free and simple content, which also provides practical links with the Hydrogen Industry.
• Lack of equipment
• Lack of interdisciplinary teaching: in secondary and higher-level schools, HFCT applications are only taught from a scientific perspective. HySchools reaches beyond traditional science subjects and provides a cross-discipline approach to hydrogen education.
• Lack of links between schools and industry: There are no current direct links between most schools and the industry. HySchools addresses this by providing practical case studies and examples from hydrogen industry leaders, to provide role models or aspirational stories to engage and energise young people.

HySchools resources allow teaching in a variety of contexts. These include: applications, production, principles,technologies, storage, distribution, history, risk management, economy and employment, environmental
impacts, policy and law.

Under each area, it is possible to have access to:

• PowerPoint presentations for students;
• Additional resources and subject knowledge for teachers;
• Insights from energy and technology companies;
• Specially selected videos via the HySchools YouTube channel;
• A range of student activities including Kahoot quizzes.

The resources are available in English, Italian, French, Greek and Romanian. They are in open access and therefore free to view, download and print. Since November 2019, pupils and staff from schools across Europe have been testing out the resources developed.

The feedback from these demonstrations and testing actions will prove invaluable to further adapt and tailor the resources to the needs of teachers. The project ended in February 2020, allowing the resources to be rolled out across the partner countries for distribution to schools. The unique aspect of this project is that the resources created are free to access worldwide, ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality materials and resources to enhance knowledge and skills.