Start Engineering Now

A blog about K-12 STEM education and career opportunities from Start Engineering, working to make these areas exciting and accessible to K-12 students of all ages with books and more.

Shoring Up the Foundation of STEM Education

Eric Iversen October 25, 2018

One of the slenderest reeds in the STEM education field is the capacity of elementary educators to prepare students for STEM success. No fault of theirs, to be sure – elementary educators are always being asked to do more and more. Here are some tips and resources for helping early learners start a rewarding, enriching STEM journey.

As Engineering Grows in K-12, Who Will Teach It

Eric Iversen March 9, 2017

All the complicated questions about K-12 engineering can boil down this: Who will be there to teach it? Find out how current and future teachers get trained in engineering and who’s doing it.

Engineering as a Stealth Language Art, Part 2

Eric Iversen February 23, 2017

Putting engineering and literacy learning efforts together in the classroom can be a challenge. Here are a several ways people have done it with success and imagination.

K-12 Learning by Engineering Design

Eric Iversen November 3, 2015

The most valuable lesson students can get from K-12 engineering? It could be the design process, a template for critical thinking, transferable to almost any problem-solving challenge.

Hacking the NGSS Engineering Standards

Eric Iversen October 7, 2015

K-12 standards are starting to include engineering, the missing "E" in STEM. Educators are going to have to adapt. Our hack will help get people started on the way to STEM integration that includes all four fields.

Round-up: About that Bus Full of Lawyers...

Eric Iversen March 13, 2015

Diversity concerns lead the week following International Women's Day, the guilty-pleasure US News graduate school rankings are out, and engineering blows by law school as the education of choice for those in search of job opportunities and good pay.

Elementary School Engineering Answers the Bell

Eric Iversen December 17, 2014

Engineering isn't getting into elementary school classrooms any time soon. It's already there. New science standards include engineering as a core concept, but engineering has already staked a large claim to space in elementary schools across the country.

Reasons to Love Afterschool Engineering

Eric Iversen December 3, 2014

Finding space for engineering in the K-12 day is hard. So try afterschool engineering instead. It's a great way to crack the K-12 nut, easy to get started, fun to do, and popular with kids. See how it works here.