STEMworks

Engineering is Elementary

Impact

Engineering is Elementary’s elementary school engineering curriculum has reached almost 59,000 teachers and 4.2 million students nationwide. Rigorous studies show that EiE has a significant impact on students’ performance in science and boosts their enthusiasm for engineering.

  • Target Audience
    • All Students
    • Teachers/Educational Leaders
  • Program Type
    • Curriculum/Instructional Materials
    • Hands-on/Project-Based
  • Location
    • Nationwide
  • Grade Level
    • K
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    • 6
    • 7
    • 8

Contact

Becky Cole
Product Marketing Manager

Email ProgramLaunch Website

Accomplished Program has been evaluated and meets the Design Principles for quality.

  • Need Accomplished
  • Evaluation Accomplished
  • Sustainability Accomplished
  • Replication & Scalability Accomplished
  • Partnerships Developing
  • Capacity Developing
  • Challenging & Relevant Content Accomplished
  • STEM Practices Accomplished
  • Inspiration Developing
  • Under-Represented Groups Accomplished

See full results

[Delaware] is employing a program out of the Boston Museum of Science called Engineering is Elementary. It literally starts in first grade, and it has the greatest little modules at the appropriate level for the grade level. That’s what’s needed. Because by the time a kid gets to eighth grade, it’s almost too late.

Ellen Kullman

CEO, DuPont

Design Principles

The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy. Programs must be Accomplished (accomplished) across all Design Principles, or be Developing (developing) in a maximum of three areas.

Overarching Principles

  • Need Accomplished

    Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.

  • Evaluation Accomplished

    Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.

  • Sustainability Accomplished

    Ensure work is sustainable.

  • Replication & Scalability Accomplished

    Demonstrate replicability and scalability.

  • Partnerships Developing

    Create high impact partnerships.

  • Capacity Developing

    Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.

STEM Principles

  • Challenging & Relevant Content Accomplished

    Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience.

  • STEM Practices Accomplished

    Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.

  • Inspiration Developing

    Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.

  • Under-Represented Groups Accomplished

    Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.

Program Overview

The Engineering is Elementary (R) (EiE) project aims to foster engineering and technological literacy among children. EiE has created a research-based, standards-driven, and classroom-tested curriculum that integrates engineering and technology concepts and skills with elementary science topics. EiE lessons not only promote K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning, but also connect with literacy and social studies. EiE has four goals: (1) increase children’s technological literacy, (2) increase elementary-school educators’ ability to teach engineering and technology, (3) increase the number of schools in the U.S. that include engineering at the elementary level, and (4) conduct research and assessment to further the first three goals and contribute to knowledge about engineering teaching and learning at the elementary level. EiE materials have been designed to reach all children; the project has a firm commitment to engaging populations that are currently underserved and underrepresented in STEM.