Like a Real Engineer

Staff Development Guide

Training Situation: Coaching (one-on-one)

Length: 15 minutes

Objective: Participants will watch the Like a Real Engineer video-based learning module and set a SMART goal to get youth to connect STEM to careers.

Agenda:

  • See the skill in action – 10 minutes
  • Set goals – 5 minutes

Download Staff Development Guide

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Video-Based Learning Module

Watch the activity overview video. This video shows staff facilitating the activity featured in the skill video.

As you watch the video below, think about these questions:

  • How does the engineer use the engineering design process with youth?
  • What problem solving skills are modeled here?
  • What does the engineer say and do here to connect the youth to the real-world career of an engineer?
  • If you were frontline staff in this video, what would you do differently to help youth see themselves as an engineer?

Now that you’ve watched the video, reflect on what you saw.

  • Brainstorm possible engineers in your community you could invite to participate at your program. What would you do and say to help the engineer align real-world application of what they do in their career to an activity in your program?
  • How do the youth respond to the interactions with the engineer?

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Make the engineering design process less intimidating with DIVEE, an acronym, and chant that is modeled by an out-of-school learning professional.

Getting Real

Set your own goal to help youth learn to see themselves as someone who does computer science.