If fuel cells are so critical to America's energy future, then it's probably a good idea to introduce the concept into educational curricula sooner rather than later.

Which is just what Amy Boll, a junior high industrial technology teacher in Crookston, is trying to do.

Boll, who's taught in Crookston for five years, updated the Crookston School Board this week on her work with the "Energy Village."

While pursuing her masters degree at the University of North Dakota, one of her professors asked if she would participate in the Energy Village, which was launched by a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The ultimate goal, to build a fuel cell-powered vehicle, would be enhanced if younger students knew a thing or two about fuel-cell technology.

And that's where Boll came in. She was asked to develop a fuel cell curriculum that could be grasped by middle school-aged students.

"So that's what I did, I took the expert information and broke it down, to a middle school understanding," she explained. "It's kind of a great project I fell into."

That was 2003. In the summer of 2004, teachers from across North Dakota attended a workshop at UND, because they had to learn about fuel cells, too, if they were going to effectively pass the knowledge onto their students. The teachers took the curriculum back to their schools, implemented it, and then returned to UND a year later to get updated on the latest changes in fuel-cell technology.

Fuel cell technology dates back to the beginning of the nation's space program, Boll explained. In the 1960s, fuel cells launched rockets. Now, the goal is to find more practical uses, she said, and there are many success stories, such as the pace cars at the last two Indianapolis 500s, both of which were powered by fuel cells. Right here in Crookston, New Flyer of America builds a fuel-cell powered bus.

A fuel cell works a lot like a battery, she explained. "An internal combustion engine is loud and noisy and produces exhaust," Boll said. "With fuel cells, all you produce is water."

Boll's professor submitted her curriculum to the American Society of Education Engineers, and she was subsequently invited to present at an ASEE conference, in Rio de Janeiro. She developed a large poster and PowerPoint presentation, and discussed hydrogen-powered fuel cells and the importance of teaching kids about the technology. Since the Rio conference, she's presented at numerous other locations and tweaked the curriculum for older students, too. So far, five colleges have requested the complete curriculum, Boll said.

The middle school curriculum in its current form covers five days, she explained. On day one, students learn about energy as a whole. From there, "project-based learning" kicks in, which means the students demonstrate what they've learned instead of just listening to the teacher lecture.

"The second day they learn about fuel cells, and the third day they create a vision of what they think the Energy Village will look like in 2050," Boll said. "They build their world based on fuel cells."

Hydrogen is a popular fuel-cell source of power, but there are other potential fuels, such as methane. And fuel cells might have just as promising of a future powering homes as they do vehicles. A home successfully powered by a fuel cell pays no electric bill, no water bill or no heating bill. Boll said cell phones, computers, watches and other devices could soon be powered by fuel cells as well because they last longer than a typical battery.

"It's not quite ready for the general public, but it's right on the edge," she said.