Engaging Children in Engineering Design Through Popular Media

Abstract

We submit that there is currently an urgent need to educate the public about engineering and attract talented people to the profession. Further, we argue that such efforts are most effective when they reach young children, and that popular media most be employed to have the desired national impact. These ideas have motivated a major new effort whose central element is a television show for public broadcasting. The television program will feature teams of high school students engaged in solving engineering challenges posed by other kids and adults. Three prototype episodes have been filmed and two of these have undergone focus group testing and analysis. These early tests indicate that the proposed format can engage an audience while reinforcing key lessons about engineering. Collaborative opportunities are currently being sought with engineers, professional societies, and K–12 educators.