Raytheon Australia and Questacon team up to bring ‘Engineering is Elementary’ to schools
- 31 August, 2017 13:14
Raytheon Australia and Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre have marked 10 years of partnership by announcing the development of the ‘Engineering in Elementary’ program for Australian schools.
The new program draws from a successful science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiative created by the U.S. based Museum of Science. The ‘Engineering is Elementary’ program provides teachers with a framework to deliver content aligned with the Australian Curriculum to engage students using hands-on problem solving through engineering solutions.
Raytheon’s sponsorship will fund the professional learning for up to 40 teachers in Canberra and South Australia who will implement the program. Teachers will participate in a series of workshops and be given resource kits, in-class support and access to online support materials including activities and class observation videos.
“As Australia’s leading systems integrator, we play a critical role in motivating young people to continue their studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Michael Ward, Managing Director of Raytheon Australia. “This expansion of our partnership with Questacon will help to develop the next generation of Australian engineers and ensure the nation’s future workforce has the skills they need to be successful.”
Following the initial phase of the program, a Teacher Educator Institute Workshop will be rolled out to additional teachers who will receive training, resources and materials to facilitate their own ‘Engineering is Elementary’ program in their schools.
Raytheon has demonstrated its commitment to STEM education through other Questacon program such as Innovation Factory – Invent and Play, a travelling exhibition which toured science centres around Australia, attracting over 60,000 visitors. The Schmidt Studio, Questacon’s state-of-the-art digital broadcast studio has also reached 13,512 students at 387 schools.
Questacon and Raytheon Australia are delighted to continue their partnership to bring this engineering program to Australia.