Siemens Digital Industries Software today announced the launch of Hour of Engineering, an immersive online educational program that empowers educators to introduce students to engineering and technology through curated, kid-friendly educational content in one hour only.
With this new curriculum, currently only available in English, Siemens aims to inspire, engage and educate students on the role and fundamentals of engineering before they enter high school, helping to prepare for a strong future of engineers. Without this rekindled spark of interest, by the time students graduate from elementary school, many will choose to leave engineering due to common misconceptions about the field.
“Until now, there has been no appropriate approach to delivering engineering education in primary schools,” said Jan Morrison, CEO and Founder of TIES (Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM). “Siemens Engineering Hour fills this long-neglected gap and provides teachers and students with a powerful platform to engage in engineering.”
“A career in engineering can take many different paths, all of which can be rewarding and help make the world a better place. allowing teachers to do just that with resources that can be deployed without additional training and that don’t add pressure to already tight budgets,” said Brian Grogan, Senior Director of Product Management, Mainstream Engineering, Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Engineering Hour is a direct response to a projected national shortage of engineers. The engineering hour is designed to spark students’ early interest in engineering careers and develop self-confidence and problem-solving skills that can be applied in all areas of study, including engineering disciplines. Engineering hour teaching content is aligned with science, technology, engineering, and math standards. Each learning activity is easy to implement and includes a teacher’s guide that offers suggested study sequences with options from one to 20 hours.
Siemens’ new online curriculum presents engineering in a fun and relevant way to inspire elementary school students to learn more about engineering and its impact on the world we live in.
“Creating engineering mindsets such as creativity, systems thinking, and collaboration is central to the Hour of Engineering curriculum. Activities and lessons tailored to the highest educational standards provide a leaf practical route for educators to seamlessly integrate engineering concepts that help students achieve more in The product by Siemens is truly groundbreaking,” said Alex Urrea, Founder and CEO of Eduscape, the company we Siemens has chosen to develop the program.
For more information on Siemens STEM education activities and resources, visit www.siemens.com/solid-edge-educator and www.hourofengineering.com.
