You probably know EiE engineering curriculum aligns with the science curriculum you already teach. But did you know that we designed our curriculum to support literacy instruction as well? We believe that literacy resources, like our context-setting storybooks, enhance all of our units—for instance, students are engaged and excited about designing a maglev transportation system after they read our engineering story about Hikaru, a young boy designing a technology to help his family’s toy store. And when students take on the roles of farmers and bugs in a play about pest control, they’ll feel immersed in the world of agriculture and ready to design hand pollinators. Because we know literacy learning and engineering instruction can go hand in hand, we’ve designed additional educator resources for educators who want to strengthen the literacy connections in their classrooms and/or afterschool programs. 

This year, the students at Tabernacle Elementary School in Tabernacle, New Jersey are experiencing something brand new—they’re solving problems and exploring new challenges in a hands-on, collaborative STEAM environment called the Collaboratory. Since the Collaboratory has opened, students have thrived with project-based learning and the Tabernacle community has come together to support the common goal of helping kids develop 21st century skills. Collaboratory teacher Brittany Murro says, “When we started this, we thought, it’s the first year, we’ll just take things a day at a time and see where they go. But it has gone above and beyond what I think any of us expected for the first year of a new program like this.”

We can’t overemphasize the importance of positive role models. They show young engineers that their dreams are achievable. In some instances, an effective role model can spark a young girl’s interest in engineering: ASME reports that women only make up 18-20% of the engineering workforce, and posits that “The stereotype that links masculinity to technology is, unfortunately, still prevalent and difficult to overcome.” We always hope that our EiE storybook characters serve as role models for kids in all classrooms. They solve real-world problems for themselves, their friends and families, and their communities. This Women’s History Month, we want to shine a light on some incredible problem solvers whose tenacity and ingenuity inspire us to create strong role models for your students.

Next week, the EiE team is hitting the road to attend the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) National Conference in Atlanta! We love conference season here at EiE—it’s a blast meeting educators, answering your burning questions, and finding out about the amazing things you’re doing in your own classrooms or districts. And when you come visit us at NSTA, you’re guaranteed to have fun and learn something new. Find our booth to get a first look at our upcoming early childhood curriculum, engage in some hands-on design challenges, and chat with our PD professionals. Read on to learn more about our booth and sessions at NSTA from March 16th–18th! We hope to see you there.

Did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month? The dentist’s office might not be your students’ favorite place, but it is full of engineering marvels! Below, we compiled some STEM-focused dental activities and technologies to share with your students. Whether you invite an expert to your class or challenge your kids to invent the next great toothbrush, putting a STEM twist on this important month is sure to put a smile on your students’ faces!