Children with the gift and eagerness to create things do not need to wait until university anymore as Young Engineers enables them to explore their talents.
This is a programme which exposes children from the ages of four upwards to complex engineering and science concepts using a practical and visual method to teach. The young participants are each given a unique kit specially designed for building a model to demonstrate the lesson’s subject.
Owner of Young Engineers Nivashnee Ramparsad said their most popular, year-long Bricks Challenge introduced children from the ages of seven up to 11 to the basic principles of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). “We teach them fundamental concepts that they probably do not learn at school such as belt and gear transmission systems. We allow the children to build engineering models using Lego bricks so that they get to see the concept taught being implemented.”
Ramparsad who is also an engineer added that they found that the practical approach is very useful in developing 21st-century skills. Mechanisms such as teamwork and collaboration are used to enable children to enhance their learning skills of how machines work.
A class conducted by Young Engineers teacher Nelisha Sitaram saw the young participants at Saxonwold Primary School being taught to build a plough. The teacher first engaged with the children asking them questions about farming and explaining how farmers need resources to farm. “There are a lot of processes that go in before we get to enjoy the end product. To reduce human effort, farmers invented a plough,” Sitaram explained.
Thereafter she illustrated how a plough works before letting the learners get hands-on in building their model ploughs.
Ramparsad said after completion of the Bricks Challenge, they graduated and moved on to advanced follow-on programmes such as Galileo Technic, Robo Bricks and Robotics and software engineering. “I believe the programme is the best because it enhances critical thinking skills which enable children to bring solutions to problems, it is fun and can be brought in to other aspects or subjects of learning such as history and English.”
To find out more about Young engineers programme visit www.youngengineers.co.za
Are you conducting any extra-curricular programmes for schools in the community? Send details to naidines@caxton.co.za
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