About HySchools

What is HySchools?

The Hydrogen in Schools (HySchools) project is an Erasmus+ project that aims to deliver hydrogen education in schools.

Educational and online resources have been created for use in secondary schools across the European partner countries, aimed at providing teachers with increased confidence to teach students about Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology (HFCT).

HySchools aims to help schools enhance the quality of HFCT teaching to equip students with the future skills required by this growing sector.

Resources

The HySchools project aims to produce a range of resources for secondary schools and colleges to improve the quality of students' education, in turn improving the quality of graduates in the sector.

  1. Resource packs have been created for secondary schools and colleges across European partner countries, which offer practical resources for both teachers and students.

  2. Online resources - such as podcasts and videos of global fuel cell outreach - have also been developed, using University expertise.

The Project

Issues addressed

In schools, common needs have been identified across partners’ countries, with varying degrees of importance. HySchools project aims to address them:

  • Lack of understanding

    Due to a lack of resources, teachers lack confidence in teaching Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (HFCT), especially its industrial application.

    The resources created by HySchools are free and easy to use, and provide practical links to the hydrogen industry.

  • Lack of equipment

    There is a lack of available equipment to teach appropriately and in a practical way.

    HySchools provides innovative and practical teaching resources to aid both learning and teaching.

  • 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.

Project Stages

The 30-month project was delivered in several stages.

  • Education and Industry Alignment

    A subsequent teachers’ survey was carried out in the partner countries, to investigate the level of hydrogen education delivered in each country, if at all. The survey analysis led by the Université de Franche-Comté (FR), provided an insight into teachers’ understanding of hydrogen, allowing the HySchools resources, and by extension curriculum development, to be aligned to the needs of the industry.

  • Development of Teaching Resources

    Practical and innovative teaching resources and online resources were created for secondary schools and post 16 education institutions.

  • Dissemination

    The HySchools resources will be promoted widely to schools and colleges, industry representatives, public authorities and career services in partner countries.

Funding

How is the HySchools project funded?

The project is funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme Key Action 2 Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices - Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education. Erasmus+ is a programme funded by the European Commission from 2014 to 2020.