How it Works

Step 1: Engineer Submits Profile

Engineers and technical professionals submit a short bio and 1 minute video, in their primary language, to the platform. A second video can be posted in a secondary language as well. The submission will be reviewed by the TryEngineering team, and published to the site within 3 weeks.

Step 2: Teacher Finds an Engineer

Teachers of school-aged-children search the database of Engineers and identify an Engineer to virtually visit their pre-university classroom. Teachers send a note (via the messaging tool) to the engineer that they would like to connect.

Step 3: Communication

Teachers and Engineers communicate (via the messaging tool) to schedule a day and time for the virtual visit and work together to decide on the type of visit and discuss the details including grade level, curriculum connections that can be made, etc.

Step 4: Virtual Visit Link Sent

Teachers send a calendar invite to the Engineer, with a link for the virtual visit (zoom, webex, etc.).

Step 5: Virtual Visit

Teachers and Engineers engage in the classroom virtual visit. The visit will close with the Engineer answering the students questions, in a Q&A session led by the teacher.

Step 6: E-book Shared

Engineers leave the teacher with a STEM e-book to share and use with their students. The e-book includes videos, articles, and activities.

Step 7: Feedback

Teachers and Engineers each provide feedback on the virtual visit. An email will be sent post the visit with a link for you to provide feedback.

» Positive perception of the engineering professions

We need a diverse STEM workforce and one of the best ways to foster this is to improve the diversity of the STEM pipeline at the pre-university level. The more opportunities pre-university students have to engage with engineers the more likely they are to pursue a STEM career.

It was a joy to see my students' eyes light up with possibilities

Mary Jackson

FAQ

How do I know if the engineer is safe and qualified?

All STEM professionals participating in the platform will be vetted: (1) video audition; (2) IEEE Working with Children training; and (3) Pre-university training courses as a minimum qualification to speak to the students.

How do I provide feedback on my experience?

Complete this feedback form.

What kind of visits can take place?

In regard to types of sessions, it can be a Q&A model where the students ask questions or a presentation from the engineer on their expertise or career path, technical problem solving, etc.

Can I communicate outside of the platform?

We recommend you communicate with the platform to find a day and time that works for everyone.

How do we define STEM Professionals?

We consider engineers and all technical professionals as “STEM professionals”.

Where can I learn more about the required training course?

This course is an introduction to Pre-University STEM outreach– it explains why STEM outreach is so important and features the TryEngineering resources including the lesson plans, volunteer STEM Portal, and all the essentials needed to get started and effectively engage in quality STEM outreach. This course is required for all IEEE Pre-University volunteer leaders (Pre-University Education Coordinating Committee members and IEEE STEM Champions) and is encouraged for anyone interested in STEM outreach. Learn more or sign up now.