Cupid had his day of recognition on Feb. 14, but tinkers and builders of all ages will get a whole week in their honor Feb. 21-27 during National Engineers Week. The event is meant to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering and math education. Parents and educators can also do their part to increase children’s interest in STEM:
1. Ask kids how they’d improve designs, objects or circumstances. If youngsters want to make a difference in the world around them, encourage their creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Engineers help people live in a world that is more energy-efficient, effective and even entertaining by designing more efficient engines, creating virtual reality games and improving people’s health by developing new technologies for medical breakthroughs.
2. Help them identify their strengths. Most young people don’t understand what engineers do, even though engineering affects almost everything. Children with big imaginations make good problem-solvers. Other great skills associated with engineering are enjoying working as a member of a team and communicating your thoughts, plans and goals to others.
3. Understand that project failure is not personal failure. Engineers design, test and then redesign the projects on which they are working. In some cases, their goal is to continue testing a design until it fails, so they can learn how to make an even more effective design. Teach children not to be disappointed, but to learn from the weaknesses found during a design test.
4. Discover as a family. Instead of family game night during National Engineers Week, substitute hands-on activities that showcase engineering. You can find ideas at discoverycube.org, such as designing a device that can grab something difficult to reach, like healthy snacks from tall pantry shelves.
5. Let’s hear it for the girls. Observe Girl Day on Feb. 25 during National Engineers Week by introducing young ladies to female role models in engineering. Create opportunities to inspire girls to engage in science by getting a group together to build engineering projects, visiting a college engineering class or a local company involved in any engineering field, or creating an event and promoting it through social media using #GirlDay2016 and #BringItOut.
Discovery Cube Vice President of Education Janet Yamaguchi has more than 30 years of experience in teaching, educational program design, curriculum development and teacher training.
