University Industry High School Educational Partnership: Fuel Cell Energy Project

Abstract

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) partnered with three agencies and select local high schools to instruct students on the principles and applications of fuel cells and key environmental issues. The three participating agencies were the Arkansas Department of Economic Development Energy Office (ADED), the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and Entergy Corporation (an energy services company). Three high schools were selected, and the project was successfully implemented during Fall 2003 and Spring 2004. This paper presents the experiences of a university professor and an undergraduate student teaching the principles of fuel cells to high-school students and assessing their reactions to learning new technology. The paper also highlights the effectiveness of collaboration between state agencies, universities, and high schools.

A Week-Long Immersive Summer Program in Energy Science and Engineering for Teacher-Student Co-Learners

“…[3]. Several studies also documented afterschool learning programs in teaching energy sciences utilizing various teaching methodologies such as workshops [4], courses [5], hands-on activities [6], and problem-based learning [7] for teachers as well as for students [8], [9], [10]. Most of these energy science education studies tend to consist of either teachers or students as participants and provide little interaction between these two types of participants as co-learners in the same program.…”