Winnipeg, MB -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/17/2017 --There is no denying that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields are on the rise. As technology becomes more prevalent in more and more areas of life, employers everywhere are crying out in an attempt to find potential employees with engineering degrees. In turn, the STEM fields are quickly becoming a necessity in early education to acclimate more children to the fields of the future from a young age. However, there are simply not enough comprehensive instructional materials to entertain children while providing a full, progressive education. As a father of a five-year-old girl, one professional engineer by the name of Ernst Bergen noticed this lack of a comprehensive set of high-end materials, so he set out to create his own materials for both his child and other children to enjoy and learn from.
As a parent of a home-schooled child and an instructor of adults in the professional world, the Ernst feels up to the challenge of formally constructing a full-fledged, hands-on engineering curriculum. Despite the complexity of engineering concepts, Ernst has found ways to make core ideas seem intuitive, breaking them down to a level any child can understand. The teaching style incorporates visual, auditory, and hands-on elements to ensure that all types of learners are both receptive and entertained.
As for the course's topics, the curriculum is planned to cover an array of the main engineering fields including mechanical, electrical, computer, and civil engineering, giving learners a vast knowledge pool to pull from as they grow. In each of these subject, Ernst has developed a variety of activities, many of which sound appealing to even adults. These activities include a spaghetti bridge challenge, building homemade speakers, circuit designing, constructing water rockets, and more. But what sets this curriculum apart from other online materials is that it is truly comprehensive and progressive, meaning that a child can build a foundation of knowledge instead of being simply overwhelmed by a hodgepodge of science experiments. The K-4 curriculum even begins with a proper introduction that speaks to the importance of engineering while teaching a few problem-solving techniques.
Sadly, for a father to build such a broad curriculum largely on his own is not an easy or cheap task. To remedy this issue, Ernst has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the curriculum's development. Those who support the campaign will be rewarded with recognition on the Engineering 4 Kids website alongside a series of lessons made for the final curriculum.
Additionally, anyone who visits the Kickstarter campaign page will be treated to a sample lesson, which Ernst has released as a free demo. With the support of readers, Ernst hopes to inspire both his daughter and kids around the world to change the world through the power of engineering.
To learn more visit the Kickstarter campaign page.
