Engineers Canada and Engineers of Tomorrow are improving early engineering education through a collective impact project.

A collective impact approach brings people and organizations together as peers, and provides the necessary context and data to enable them to create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the shared concerns of the community.

These engaged peers will coordinate together to achieve greater impact, collaborate on shared goals and decision-making, and integrate resources, planning, and programs to this effect.

Early engineering education

The formation of this collective impact project came as a result of research commissioned by Engineers Canada into engineering awareness in early education in the K-12 space. The 2021 report, “Where is the E in STEM?” identified several areas of opportunity.

The collective impact project has created a coordinated approach to achieve a shared common agenda around the core goal of advancing engineering in STEM education at the K-12 level. These agenda items are:

• Build a common language and shared practice; 
• Use shared measurements, and focus on a data-driven approach that includes quantitative and qualitative measurements; 
• Remove barriers and provide equitable access to early engineering education; 
• Nurture and create dynamic partnerships that cross-pollinate and advance the E in STEM; 
• Work across systems to create a common curriculum.

Some of the desired outcomes of this initiative include an agreement of a common language and key messages, coordinated leadership across the systems, increasing diverse representation in engineering, providing a clear understanding about how engineering shapes everyday solutions, and more support for students to get into engineering programs. 

Funding for the initiative has generously been provided by the Leacross Foundation.

Advancing the E in STEM Presentation (ONWiE presentation - EC version)