The Expekt program aims to develop high quality photonics educational material for European secondary schools, namely the Photonics Explorer kit. This kit will be designed to excite, engage and educate pupils about working with light and showcase prospective photonics careers. The development will be done in close collaboration with experienced teachers and science education professors from ten European countries, as well as specialists in the development of gender-sensitive educational material. This project is actively supported by the wider European photonics community, including the leading photonics associations, companies and universities.The Photonics Explorer will provide science teachers with a modern didactic framework, multimedia material and components for hands-on experiments. By letting pupils conduct experiment with up-to-date industry-sponsored components they are given the opportunity to experience the excitement of working with light first-hand. Furthermore they can discover their own scientific abilities and foster their research skills.The Photonics Explorer kit will be translated into seven languages and thoroughly tested in schools across Europe, to ensure that it can easily be adapted to national school curricula.The educational material developed in the Expekt project will be distributed free-of-charge together with teacher training courses. A self-sustainable non-profit organization will be established to coordinate the manufacturing and distribution of the Photonics Explorer in the following years, serving as a European centre for photonics outreach for primary and secondary schools.