Sticky Notes: Keynote and Key Ideas

A quick recap of recent and notable YES and EiE activities.

Dr. Christine Cunningham giving the keynote address at ASEE’s 2024 conference. Credit: P.J. Boardman of MathWorks.

Dr. Christine Cunningham (Senior Vice President of STEM Learning at the Museum of Science, Boston) gave the keynote address at this year’s American Society of Engineering Education (“ASEE”) PreK-12 Engineering Education Teacher Conference in Portland, OR. Her address, “A Framework for Equity-Oriented PreK-12 Engineering Education,” was introduced by P.J. Boardman, the Director of STEM Outreach and Workforce Development at MathWorks. At the teacher conference, Dr. Cunningham also led two workshop sessions focused on socially engaged engineering. In these, teachers explored how curricular materials can prompt students to think about how engineering interacts with society, especially asking who is harmed and who benefits from engineered solutions.

Dr. Christine Cunningham leads a workshop on socially engaged engineering. Credit: Courtesy of ASEE PreCollege Engineering Education Division.

Making Engineering Elementary: A Conversation with the Lemelson Foundation

Before heading off to the conference to give her keynote, Dr. Cunningham also sat down to talk with the Lemelson Foundation (a sponsor of the conference) about engineering education, early childhood learning, and why it’s never too soon for children to engage in engineering problem solving.

“When I started this two decades ago, engineering didn’t show up at all before middle school. I realized that by then, it was too late,” said the Founding Director of Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) and Engineering is Elementary (EiE). “I wanted to begin before the stereotypes about who can be an engineer start to kick in.”

Read more of Dr. Cunningham and the Lemelson Foundation’s thought-provoking conversation on the Lemelson Foundation’s website here.

About the ASEE, the Lemelson Foundation, and MathWorks

ASEE: The American Society of Engineering Education

The American Society of Engineering Education is a nonprofit “committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology.” Founded in 1893, its 12,000-plus members work to develop policies, programs, and activities for students and faculty in engineering. Its annual conference is known as the “single largest gathering of the year for ASEE members.” Dr. Cunningham has been a member of ASEE for two decades. In 2014, she was honored as an ASEE fellow.

The Lemelson Foundation

Founded in 1993 by Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson, the Lemelson Foundation focuses on harnessing the power of invention and innovation to improve lives and cultivate the next generation of impact inventors. The foundation has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to support the creation and building of vibrant invention ecosystems for students and entrepreneurs, as well as supporting inventions boosting economies and improving our climate.

Dr. Christine Cunningham and MathWorks’ P.J. Boardman at ASEE 2024. Credit: P.J. Boardman of MathWorks.

MathWorks

MathWorks is the developer of MATLAB (a programming platform used by engineers and scientists worldwide) and is committed to supporting STEM education through local and professional communities. Created in 1984 by Jack Little and Cleve Moler, the company is renowned globally for its STEM software and support of STEM education. Mathworks (along with the Lemelson Foundation) was a sponsor of the ASEE conference.

YES, EiE, and the Museum of Science, Boston are proud grant recipients of MathWorks. Additionally, MathWorks is the sponsor of the YES Middle School and engineering computer science modules, which are accompanied by MATLAB technology.

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Speaking of engineering education, be sure to read Dr. Cunningham’s op-ed in Scientific American on engineering better learning in schools.

And learn more about how YES and EiE support teachers in the classroom by checking out this interview with Dr. Cunningham on TeacherCast.