GM Fuel Cell Curriculum Honored With Environmental Award

DETROIT - General Motors' nationwide in-school fuel cell education program, "Fuel Cells: Driving the Future," was honored with an Environmental Excellence in Transportation (E2T) award by the Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE). The award was announced at their 2004 SAE Government/Industry Meeting at the Lowes L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington D.C. this May.

The SAE's E2T awards recognize the ingenuity of individuals and groups in developing innovations that reduce the transportation industry's impact on the environment. The "Fuel Cells: Driving the Future" curriculum was honored in the Education, Training & Public Awareness category, which recognizes originality in educating and training of people which results in significant environmental improvements to the usage and application of transportation.

"We are honored to receive this prestigious award for our work in environmental education," said Elizabeth Lowery, vice president of environment and energy. "GM has created and supported these initiatives because we believe they are essential in creating a sustainable future. By developing a curriculum that explores the technology now, we believe revolutionary ideas and research will make that day come sooner."

The fuel cell curriculum was launched in 2002 and has reached nearly 3.5 million middle school students. It was developed by Lifetime Learning SystemsŪ, Inc., a division of Weekly Reader Corp., and it provides science teachers with a free, engaging curriculum that highlights the fundamentals of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

As part of GM's overall K-12 education initiative, the curriculum has a broader goal to enlighten and educate children about important issues that will impact their future. All of GM's educational initiatives provide timely and interesting information, as well as suggestions for incorporating these ideas within a science curriculum.

"We all have a responsibility to protect our environment," said Lowery. "Through our outreach and educational programs, we are able to instill this ideal in today's young people with hands-on learning experiences."