“We’re going to engineer today,” is a phrase commonly heard these days in the elementary school classrooms at Chelsea Public Schools (CPS).
This winter, CPS has partnered with Penn State University and Youth Engineering Solutions
(YES) to pilot after-school STEM curriculum for CPS elementary school students.
Since January, upper elementary students at Chelsea’s Mary C. Burke Elementary Complex have participated in a STEM after school program provided by the YES curriculum team. The curriculum presents engineering lessons based in real-world context, and asks students to solve open-ended problems that have multiple solutions.
The YES curriculum being used in Chelsea is also specifically designed for English Learners
(EL), and all the kids currently participating in the program are EL students from Chelsea. The program currently being implemented in Chelsea is believed to be the first of its kind – an engineering curriculum being used in an after school environment focused on EL students – in the United States.
Among the units that Chelsea students have worked on include building assistive devices for people who struggle putting on socks, and designing rescue shuttles for flight. The curriculum incorporates a variety of skill sets and knowledge bases including engineering principles, problem-solving techniques, reading and writing to create a holistic educational experience for kids
“As part of our five year strategic plan, one priority we have is to increase after school activities for our students; this program is an example of how we are doing that,” commented Superintendent Dr. Almi G. Abeyta. “STEM instruction helps students think creatively and work collaboratively. To succeed in life, students have to be able to apply what they have learned to a variety of scenarios. STEM education teaches them to adapt the concepts that they have learned to solve problems or issues.”
Making STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) accessible, equitable and understandable to young students has been a career goal of Dr. Christine Cunningham, who launched YES and led the team who designed the curriculum currently in use at CPS. For Chelsea students, the curriculum encourages them to have conversations at home, in whatever language they speak, about the after school program, the units they are working on, and the problems they are trying to solve. This research-driven program encourages kids to explore and express ideas in all of their languages because, as Dr. Cunningham describes, “using language in meaningful and authentic ways is the best way for kids to learn it”. Dr. Cunningham also articulates that the hands-on nature of the program lends itself to equitable educational practices:
“We also know that youth learn both engineering and language by doing hands-on, real challenges. If they don’t yet know the English words, youth can initially draw or build a design to share their ideas with their group. As they work with others and hear and see the words in context, they develop language.”
Upon returning to the after school program on Monday, February 28, CPS students will continue with the curriculum’s second unit, which has kids using a variety of materials to design rescue shuttles and test them for flight.
Youth Engineering Solutions educates the next generation of problem solvers and engineers by developing equitable, research-based, and classroom-tested preK-8 engineering and STEM curricula; preparing and empowering educators to teach engineering; and conducting rigorous research that informs K-12 engineering education. Click here to learn more.