As teachers who participate in the H2GP program will tell anyone who asks, the racing component of the program is as important as the in-classroom instruction portion.  As the H2GP initiative continues to advance and evolve the need for resources on racing days like power tools, access to tools to machine car parts, and other technical assets are going to play a greater role in determining victory or defeat on the track.  This is especially true since the H2GP program is essentially enabling automotive racing to happen globally in high schools as a sport, which is a major game changer since no longer must students wait to race professionally until after they graduate from high school.  By helping students to gain highly valuable racing experience in high school whether as a driver or a mechanic, after high school students can directly pursue meaningful careers both on and off the racetrack.  This is coinciding in a country, like the United States, where Formula 1 and Formula E are gaining traction.

In light of the evolution of the H2GP program, it is therefore becoming more important for H2GP educators to have as many valuable tools at their disposal as possible.  One of those tools, for teachers in the United States, ought to include a membership to the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT).  The NACAT is an organization that is dedicated to advocating for the resources necessary to effectively teach high school students about powertrains as well as how to fix the body of a vehicle. 

With a NACAT membership H2GP teachers can learn how to upscale their automotive teaching methods, gain access to a legislative voice that directly supports the H2GP program in schools, and they also gain a broader network of fellow educators who can offer insights and advice on how to be more successful in learning where to acquire a tool or relating automotive lessons more effectively to students.

It also helps that each year the NACAT holds its annual conference which allows for greater involvement both within NACAT as well as access to additional resources.  Furthermore, NACAT members include professors at local community colleges, which can help provide a more accessible path for H2GP participants to pursue hydrogen and fuel cell education once they graduate from high school.  By H2GP teachers connecting with community colleges it can enable a student’s transition from high school to college to be less abrupt.

Please click here to learn more about the NACAT and to look into signing up for membership.