Come and learn how to explain what engineers do in language that is accessible to five to eight year olds with the help of an inquisitive and irrepressible flamingo (Frankie) and her faithful side kick Clarence – the crab who doesn’t like poo on his head. As Frankie and Clarence build and test bridges, roads and parachutes they also solve the mystery of the elephant that forgot, find out key scientific facts and learn that engineering is cool. Not bad for a day’s work. Thanks to an Ingenious Grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering, we will be reading the story to 500 children in a series of workshops in the spring of 2019 and giving every one of them a copy of the book. We need engineers to co-deliver these workshops gaining valuable skills along the way.
In preparation for delivering the workshops there will be a two hour training session where you will:
- learn key tips to keep the attention of a class of 30 children,
- practice how to explain the job you do in a language that they can follow,
- understand that there is no such thing as a wrong answer, and therefore how to cope with one when it arrives,
- know when to slip into ‘cross teacher’ voice
- learn the importance of repetition, movement and partnership working for young children
- get to stand like a flamingo
All engineers are welcome, whether or not you own a hard hat or high-vis jacket!
Training will happen on Wednesday November 7th or Tuesday 20th November between 6-8 pm at STEM Learning, 5th Floor, Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall St, London EC2V 5HA
The training and the workshops in the schools will be led by Cath Hassell of ech2o who wrote the book, has many years of being a plumber under her belt, knows a bit about mechanical services engineering, and has been engaging with school children of all ages about water and energy for many years.
Please contact info@ech2o.co.uk if you want to be part of this initiative.