Eye On STEAM Conference Empowers Engineering Educators

It’s rare for elementary and middle school teachers from different schools to come together and exchange ideas. Most days, they’re busy instructing their students. But 63 local educators recently had a chance to become learners for a day at the Eye on STEAM conference held on the Tufts campus. Thanks to a generous group of anonymous donors, the conference was completely free for all participants.

The event was co-designed by Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO), a team of local teachers, and Acera EI, an education-focused nonprofit organization. Acera and Tufts CEEO are longtime collaborators and have worked together on educational outreach for 12 years.

The event kicked off with a welcome from CEEO Director of Outreach Elissa Milto and a keynote address from Brian Gravel, associate professor in the department of education and CEEO Fellow. Both Milto and Gravel set the tone for the day as one that would empower teachers to help budding engineers reach their potential. “The conference was exciting for me because it brought together two things that I think about a lot: engineering education and ensuring all students are able to do engineering activities,” Milto said.

In the early 2000s, engineering became a curricular requirement for schools in Massachusetts. “Engineering education is still a very young subject,” explained Alison Earnhart, a science and engineering specialist at Acera. “Students in college now are training to become engineering educators, but when I went to school to become a teacher that was not an option. My background is in physics.”

Like Earnhart, the attendees came from many different disciplines, and their current roles were just as varied. Some attendees were science teachers, while others taught engineering electives. Some taught one specific grade, others spanned multiple years. There were also special education teachers, teachers who lead English Language Learners classrooms, and college-level educators who prepare students to become elementary and secondary teachers. Unlike English or math requirements which tend to be more standard, each district approaches engineering requirements differently.

This variety led to lively conversations after lunch, when teachers gathered to discuss topics they had brainstormed in the opening session. Categories ranged from AI and Ethics to Student Voice, Choice, and Engagement. “It’s been exciting to hear different mindsets and to hear what STEM and STEAM means in different districts,” said John McCarthy, a STEAM elective teacher at Williams Middle School in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

Throughout the day, teachers attended sessions run by CEEO faculty, staff, students, fellow K-12 educators, and Acera professionals that focused on teaching engineering so that all students will be able to participate. Options included Integrating Engineering and Literacy, Engineering, and Design Talks: Classroom Conversations for Engineering Learners, among others. A handful of students from Somerville Public Schools helped lead a session on accessibility for STEM curriculum with hands-on demonstrations of the Lego SPIKE Prime.

The educators left with more than just inspiration; they each received a generous box of classroom supplies to help them implement engineering education activities in their classrooms. Teachers often purchase their own classroom supplies, which can create a barrier to trying new hands-on activities. The kits ensure that all attendees have an opportunity to bring what they learned into their classrooms right away.

Housed within Tufts University's School of Engineering, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach is home to students, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty across disciplines who are dedicated to creating the next generation of problem solvers. Working to bridge the divide between research and practice, CEEO’s outreach team works to transform research into programs and resources that can be used by stakeholders and provide continuous feedback to researchers.

Several members of CEEO faculty and staff helped create and facilitate The Eye on STEAM conference including Director of Outreach Elissa Milto, Director Merredith Portsmore, Program Administrator Magee Shalhoub, Project Administrator Lynne Ramsey, and Administrative Coordinator Alison Blanchard. “It was great to see how excited the teachers were to listen to the presenters then dive into the hands-on activities.” Milto said. As one attendee put it in their feedback survey, “Real stuff. Most impactful conference in STEAM.”