E is for Engineering! How Stratford’s Engineering Curriculum Takes Students to the Next Level in STEM/STEAM E

“Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that has never been.” – Theodore von Karman, Hungarian-American mathematician, aerospace engineer, and physicist

Engineering, the all-important “E” in STEM and STEAM education–in this new age of technology, a robust engineering curriculum is more essential than ever. At Stratford School, our engineering curriculum is designed to prepare students to meet the unique challenges of the future armed with a solid engineering foundation from which they can build upon, whether they choose to continue their studies in any of the many engineering specialties that exist today or use those critical engineering principles to improve systems and solve problems in any field they decide to go into.

Engineers develop new technologies or improve existing ones to increase their benefits, decrease known risks, and meet societal demands. They ask questions, define problems, plan, investigate, construct explanations, and design solutions. Children are naturally curious: they are eager to learn the “how and why” of everything: from “why does a beaver build a dam” to “how does a windmill work?” We encourage our curious and budding engineers of the future to understand the answers to these questions through hands-on engineering projects embedded in Preschool to Middle School science and engineering curriculum. Critical thinking, innovation, collaboration, and communication skills are intricately woven into the topics that students learn in their Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned science curriculum.

Starting Engineering Concepts Early

Early learners, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten students, love working with their hands! You can hear the exciting sounds and playful investigations in the classrooms during a science unit on-ramps and pathways. What might seem like simple play is actually quite complex, as children tackle big ideas around energy, force, and motion. After exploring the relationship between materials, the learning culminates in a design challenge: build a system that a small marble can move through. Our early engineers eagerly build, test, and try again until they achieve success together. In addition to feeling a sense of accomplishment, the children begin to understand how mistakes are opportunities to learn…a lesson for a lifetime!

Designing Solutions for the Future in Middle School

In addition to being integrated into the science curriculum, engineering is also offered as a choice elective at Stratford Middle School. Students who take Engineering design a sustainable futuristic city using engineering design principles and participate in the FutureCity Competition every year. Our students have consistently demonstrated innovative thinking in creating physical models of the city using mainly recycled materials. Stratford teams have placed in the top five positions in the past several years. This year’s FutureCity theme was to build a waste-free city based on the principles of a circular economy. Stratford students secured the first position in the regional competition and moved on to the national level. Students worked hard to create a future city that produces zero waste, can accommodate any age or ethnicity, and can ensure the comfort, safety, and convenience of its residents. A summary of the numerous components that make their city unique include the water filtration system, which filters water to be reused, the stacked agriculture farms that mimic natural environments and minimize space use, solar panels, wind turbines, and other examples of renewable energy.

At Stratford, in addition to developing the skills of creativity, curiosity, and perseverance through the engineering design process, our students learn a growth mindset and treat each challenge as an opportunity for growth and success in the future years! Interested in learning more? Visit us at www.stratfordschools.com.