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GE businesses around the world are inspiring young minds
Find city profiles, activities and how to join.
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Inspiring the next generation of engineers to build a more creative, innovative, sustainable world.
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Latest news & updates
Read all news, updates, and happenings from the Next Engineers initiative.
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Explore all resources
Find the tools that you need to run a successful Next Engineers program, including communication collateral and templates, student and volunteer outreach materials, student activity guides, engineering challenges, and Monitoring & Evaluation resources.
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Building a better world
We are increasing the number of engineering innovators and leaders who will make what’s next for the world even better.
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Challenge Yourself
Find activity guides and resources to help you as students, parents, and teachers stay curious and build worlds that haven't even been thought of yet.
Challenge yourself
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  • Challenge yourself

Challenge yourself

Challenge the engineer inside you

What will your imagination build?

Experiement on your own
Wrench
Experiment on your own

Whether you live outside of our program cities or just can't get enough, Next Engineers: Challenge Yourself offers resources for at-home and in-class engineering exploration. These resources come in three categories:

  • Experiment and Explore: Discover awesome science and explore how you can use it to make a world that works.
  • Build it!: On your own or with friends, try some of our favorite engineering challenges.
  • Nerd out: Spend 5 minutes learning about amazing engineers and their engineering feats.
Dots and Dashes
Featured Challenge
Dots and Dashes

Let's explore how electromagnets are used in real life. In this Build It! activity, you will create your own telegraph machine!

Learn more
Electromagnet-Unsplash
More activities
Find activity guides, resources, and video demos to help you as students, parents, and teachers stay curious and build worlds that haven't even been thought of yet.
Nerd Out
Helpful Sounds: Part 1

What kind of waves are sound waves? How does sound travel? Learn the basics of sound in this Nerd Out!

Learn More
Longitudinal Waves
Build It!
Soundproof

In this design challenge is to design and build a soundproof box, one that will keep as much sound as possible from getting out.

Learn More
Absorbing Foam
Nerd Out
JWST Part 6: Parking Spaces

Parking in space isn't easy - find out how the James Webb Space Telescope manages to sit in the perfect spot in this Nerd Out!

Learn More
NASA Lagrange
Experiment & Explore
Good Vibrations

What really is sound and what does it look like? Experiment with the properties of sound and explore the patterns that different kinds of sounds make.

Learn More
Headset on sheet music - Credit Kelly Sikkema Unsplash
Nerd Out
JWST Part 5: Keeping Cool

How can the James Webb Space Telescope be solar hot on one side, but space cool on the other? Find out in this Nerd Out!

Learn More
JWST Sun shielding NASA
Experiment & Explore
Electromagnetism

Aren't magnets fascinating? In this Experiment and Explore activity, you will discover the hidden relationship between electricity and magnetism!

Learn More
Copper Coil - CatalpaSpirit WikiCommons CC
Nerd Out
JWST Part 4: Redshift

Webb is designed to see the infrared part of the spectrum. But why? Find out in this Nerd Out!

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JWST Gold Mirror
Build It!
Sunny-side Up

Design and build a way to make the perfect cooked breakfast without using fire, gas, or electricity. 

Learn more
Experiment and explore
Liquid Armor

In this Experiment and Explore activity, you will discover a liquid that is also a solid, experiment with its properties, and explore ways engineers might put it to work to solve real-world problems.

Learn more
Oobleck
Build It!
Dots and Dashes

Let's explore how electromagnets are used in real life. In this Build It! activity, you will create your own telegraph machine!

Learn More
Electromagnet_Unsplash
Nerd Out
JWST Part 3: Learning from Bees

Why are the James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors hexagons? Find out in this Nerd Out!

Learn More
JWST Mirrors
Nerd Out
Pi Day: Getting to Know Pi

March 14 is Pi Day! Start here to get to know pi a little better.

Learn More
Pi Day
Nerd out
The James Webb Space Telescope Part 1: Seeing Backwards in Time

Are time machines real? Can we see back in time? Learn how NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will help us see further back in time than ever before!

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NASA JWST
Nerd Out
JWST Part 2: How to Build a Time Machine

Dive deeper into how the James Webb Space Telescope helps us see into the past.

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Cosmic Timeline
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A Note for Teachers and Parents

 

At Next Engineers, we think engineering is amazing and that engineering is for everyone. So, we created Challenge Yourself: a series of activities and resources to give everyone the opportunity to explore engineering.

You will find three different kinds of resources:

  • Experiment and Explore gives students an opportunity to investigate important science phenomena and think about how these can be used to solve problems. Each begins with simple experiments that you can do in class or at home along with ideas and suggestions for how you can extend and deepen the learning. They end with a challenge to apply this learning by engineering solutions to create a world that works. How far you go is up to you. Do only the initial investigation or challenge your students or child to build and test their own engineering designs.
  • Build it! are some of our favorite engineering design challenges. As the name suggests, these are challenges that require a built response from individuals or teams. We have chosen challenges that invite a wide range of design solutions of varying complexities so that they are accessible to younger and older children alike. In each case, an extension is offered for those young engineers who want more of a challenge. Shepherd your students or child through the engineering design process or get your hands dirty and Build it! with them.
  • Nerd Out offers brief descriptions of some of the world’s most amazing engineers and their engineering feats. Each piece includes moments for readers to stop and have a think about the science and mathematics involved. Teachers, use Nerd Out to design your own integrated STEM learning experiences or as the basis for class research projects. Parents, use Nerd Out to start conversations with your child about the wonderful world that engineers can help create.

 

Above all, we invite you and the children you’re educating to have fun!

If you have any questions or feedback, you can reach us at NextEngineers@fhi360.org. Thank you for exploring with Next Engineers!

Connect

Want to know more or how to get involved? Are you an aspiring engineer or do you know one? We want to hear from you. Send us your questions and follow us on social media:

Contact us: NextEngineers@fhi360.org

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