Case Study

How a text-only Chat helped a student with selective mutism communicate with adults

The text-based Chats on I’m an Engineer and I’m a Scientist can work particularly well for students for whom face-to-face communication is inaccessible. This was demonstrated when Daniel, a child with selective mutism, entered Vicky Heslop’s classroom.

In a recent article for Tes magazine, Vicky says that Daniel “would talk through his friends, who would ask questions on his behalf” but was unable to communicate with adults and teachers. Vicky, a teacher at Westbury Junior School in Wiltshire, explains that it was a “huge challenge for me to understand Daniel’s inner world, his interests and passions.”
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Posted on July 18, 2022 by modemily in Case Study, Teachers | Comments Off

Keeping STEM engagement going during lockdown

Selina Rai, structural engineer at Arup, took part in the Tomorrow’s Engineers Zone of I’m an Engineer, Stay at home. This zone helped teachers keep their students connected with STEM throughout school closures in the 2020 Summer Term. Here Selina talks about her experience engaging with students during the pandemic. What made you decide to take part in Tomorrow’s Engineers Zone? As a STEM Ambassador, I’m passionate about working with young people. Lockdown restrictions meant it wasn’t possible to attend outreach events, so I was keen to find another way to keep the momentum going. Tomorrow’s Engineers Zone provided the perfect opportunity to continue speaking to students about STEM online and from the safety of our homes. How did you find fitting in the activity around your work routine? Working from home has given me a fair amount of flexibility in how I arrange my work hours. If I have a … Continue reading →

Posted on September 2, 2020 by admin in Case Study | Comments Off

Personal development and confidence communicating

“Some colleagues asked me: what is the benefit for an engineer in joining such a competition? But on the personal development point of view it was fully worth it.” — Giuseppe Cotugno, software engineer

Giuseppe took part in the Artificial Intelligence Zone, talking to students about his role as a software engineer at Buhler Sortex and his PhD. He had participated in some public dissemination activities while working in a previous job as a researcher, but didn’t expect how much the I’m an Engineer experience would benefit him. Continue reading →

Posted on June 25, 2019 by admin in Case Study, Engineer Quotes, News | Comments Off

Long lasting benefits for employees and employers

“Emma’s employer supported her participation in I’m an Engineer. She returned the favour by using her £500 prize money to develop an ongoing outreach event for the company.” — Emma Ryan, Research Engineer at Lockheed Martin, EngD student at the Centre for Doctoral Training in NanoMaterials and Technologies

Before taking part in I’m an Engineer, Emma Ryan felt the engagement events she was involved in weren’t reaching those who would benefit most. “Talking to girls about engineering is a big push for what I do,” she says, “but we were going to speak to women at university who know they’re doing engineering… I think it’s more important to go back to primary school.”

In I’m an Engineer, Emma was able to directly reach this audience. Winning the zone then gave her £500 towards her own engagement activities, which she used to leverage support from her employer. Continue reading →

Posted on June 17, 2019 by admin in Case Study, News | Comments Off

Showing students the relevance of their learning

“Doing something engaging like this creates a more well-rounded education and my students have now seen real-life applications of curriculum content.” — Lucy, Maths Teacher at Cornelius Vermuyden School, Canvey Island

Only a small proportion of students at Cornelius Vermuyden School aspire to go to university or move out of the local area, and many don’t see the point in what they study in school. Lucy tells us how their involvement in I’m an Engineer helped them see the importance of maths and broaden their horizons.

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Posted on July 13, 2018 by admin in Case Study, News | Comments Off

What can you do?

I want to take part with my class ❯

I want to take part as an engineer ❯

I want to find out about funding I’m an Engineer ❯

What is I’m an Engineer?

I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here is an online activity where school students get to meet and interact with engineers.

It’s a competition between engineers, where the students are the judges.

Students challenge the engineers over intense, fast-paced, online live Chats. Then they Ask the engineers all the questions they want to, and Vote for their favourite scientist to win a prize of £500 to communicate their work with the public.