IEEE STEM Summit Highlights Resources for Educators

The annual IEEE STEM Summit in October brought together a record number of preuniversity educators; IEEE volunteers; and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics enthusiasts. They shared resources and ideas and attended sessions to learn how to inspire the next generation of budding engineers and technologists.

The free virtual summit, held 23 to 25 October, attracted more than 1,000 attendees from 118 countries. The 13 sessions featured award-winning educators and IEEE volunteers from academia and industry who offered practical advice on planning effective, interesting outreach activities.

The sessions highlighted best practices in STEM education, as well as examples of outreach events. Also included was a discussion on productive failure, which is the importance of encouraging young people to embrace the iterative process of engineering—which includes learning from failures.

Other sessions introduced participants to TryEngineering resources. TryEngineering, an IEEE Educational Activities program, focuses on STEM outreach. It provides educators with lesson plans, activities, and other resources at no charge for use in their classrooms and in community activities. Students’ interest in STEM careers can be ignited by being introduced to new technologies and the way they operate.

Why a STEM summit?

The IEEE STEM Summit was organized and hosted by the IEEE Educational Activities’ preuniversity education coordinating committee. Its mission is to foster educational outreach to school-age children around the globe by providing educators and IEEE volunteers with inspiration for engaging activities. The coordinating committee provides resources and services through the TryEngineering program, and it encourages the sharing of ideas and best practices among educators and volunteers.

“We are so excited about the continued growth of the IEEE STEM Summit,” says Jamie Moesch, managing director for IEEE Educational Activities. “The event provides this growing community an opportunity to collaborate, strengthen their own outreach efforts, and learn from others who share their passion.””

Engaging speakers

Thomas Coughlin, 2024 IEEE president, and Rabab Ward, vice president of IEEE Educational Activities, kicked off the event. Coughlin spoke about opportunities for students in IEEE, and he encouraged participants to get involved in local STEM outreach efforts. Ward stressed the importance of providing students with opportunities to engage in engineering activities and to meet practicing engineers.

The summit featured three keynote speakers and several panel sessions.

Eleftheria Kallinikou, a psychologist affiliated with the University of Ioannina, in Greece, spoke about productive failure, saying it’s important to teach students how to solve problems as a way to explore engineering, while also increasing their self-esteem.

Burt Dicht, a member of the preuniversity coordinating committee and director of membership at the National Space Society, interviewed Barbara Morgan, a former NASA astronaut and an educator at Boise State University, in Idaho. During her From Classroom to Space: A Journey of Education and Exploration session, Morgan talked about her reaction to seeing the Earth from space. She also discussed the role teachers play in inspiring students.

Stacy Klein-Gardner, executive director of Engineering 4 Us All, presented An Inclusive Engineering Mindset: K–12 talk, discussing programs that introduce students to engineering as a creative process and one in which students develop their identities as problem solvers.

Lorena Garcia, past chair of the IEEE Preuniversity Coordinating Committee (PECC), who is an ABET member and a director of the IEEE Foundation, moderated a global panel of IEEE members. They shared tips for inspiring youngsters with STEM outreach activities such as a bionic bus and several hands-on activities that could be incorporated into afterschool programs.

During the Unlocking Potential: How Key Partnerships Fuel Technological Innovation panel session, Michael Geselowitz, senior director of the IEEE History Center, joined Stamatis Dragoumanos, PECC chair, and IEEE staff members in a discussion about how partnerships allow IEEE to amplify its impact. Collaborations with Keysight and Onsemi, for example, have led to new TryEngineering lesson plans. Resources from the History Center’s IEEE REACH program introduce TryEngineering users to the history of technology and its impact on society.

Several sessions showcased people who have successfully implemented STEM outreach programs, including a Canadian high school teacher, a Malaysian professor, and a Kenyan university student.

To close out the summit, the updated TryEngineering website was unveiled. New features include enhanced search functionality; resources centered around a specific technology such as semiconductors and oceans; and an interactive global map showcasing IEEE STEM outreach activities. Lesson plans, news, and spotlights of TryEngineering STEM grants and STEM Champions are now easier to find on the website.

Visit TryEngineering.org to find resources to assist you in your work to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Previous years’ IEEE STEM Summit sessions can be viewed on the IEEE TryEngineering YouTube channel.

The IEEE Foundation, the philanthropic partner for TryEngineering, provided financial support for the summit. To support future summits and the entire TryEngineering program, visit the IEEE TryEngineering Fund donation page.