We know that in July, the last thing educators want to think about is the upcoming school year—but hear us out! This August, we’re offering an exciting, free online professional development opportunity: Getting Started With EiE. With this back-to-school webinar series, you can get a jump start on your professional development and feel confident about teaching engineering in the fall. This series is for EiE educators who need a little support from our PD team—like those who are brand new to teaching engineering, those who have an EiE materials kit sitting unused on their shelves, and those who need a refresher on how our curriculum materials work. In this interactive series, you’ll connect with our PD providers and other educators to get ready to dive into hands-on engineering instruction with ease. Best of all, you can attend these free sessions from the comfort of your own home!

The National Science Teachers Association is holding its annual STEM Forum & Expo next week in Kissimmee, Florida. Members of the Engineering is Elementary team will be there, and we’d love to see you! Find us at booth #716 in the exhibit hall, check out our session on developing Engineering Habits of Mind, and visit us at the Elementary STEM Showcase! If you drop by our booth or attend one of our sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a raffle for the EiE materials kit of your choice.

Are you having trouble getting middle-school-aged youth engaged in engineering challenges? When we developed our out-of-school-time curricula for grades 6–8, Engineering Everywhere, we committed to creating an additional free resource: the Special Report video library. We developed these 10-15 minute videos to set a context and get middle schoolers excited about engineering. Each video features an Engineering and Technology Correspondent who introduces youth to a field of engineering by speaking to experts about the problems they solve. These videos are engaging and entertaining, and show youth how vital the Engineering Design Process is in the real world. Check out three of our favorites and see how an exciting video can energize the young engineers in your program!

At EiE, we know that professional development is important for engineering educators. Our PD workshops introduce you to the EiE curriculum; increase your knowledge of engineering, technology, and the Engineering Design Process; boost your confidence in teaching engineering; and enhance your ability to implement open-ended engineering design challenges with your students. We offer a wide variety of workshops for teachers, teacher educators, and out-of-school time providers, and we’re proud of our unique, hands-on offerings that have turned many STEM skeptics into true engineering believers. For those who are new to PD, the number of options can feel overwhelming, and for PD veterans, it’s exciting to hear about what’s coming up next. So read on to learn more about online PD, TEIs, our upcoming early childhood PD, and more!

Last month, our founder and director, Christine Cunningham, was awarded a Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Christine was recognized in the U.S. K-12 Education category for “pioneering a curriculum that is transforming education by introducing engineering concepts and practices at the elementary level.” Her acceptance speech at the ASU/GSV Summit moved the crowd and highlighted EiE’s commitment to making engineering accessible to ALL students.