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Educators
Central Texas Discover Engineering (CTDE) invites you to participate in our local engineering classroom visit program this school year. Our goal is to excite kids about the possibilities of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. We encourage our volunteers to:
- Introduce and facilitate a hands-on activity and give students the opportunity to experience the engineering design process
- Discuss their job and share a “day in the life of an engineer”
- Discuss the reasons they chose engineering as a major and career, their career path, and their struggles along the way
Register your School for a Classroom Visit
Each year, Central Texas Discover Engineering (CTDE) aims to reach over 14,000 students in school districts across Central Texas. As such, we cannot typically secure volunteers to visit an entire school. Instead, it is best to coordinate with other teachers in your school to request a visit to one grade, a select few classes, or a specific group of students. We encourage classroom visits to take place during the spring semester so we have plenty of time to help match up volunteers to school requests.
Educator registration IS OPEN for classroom visit requests. CTDE is using GivePulse to make it easy for STEM professionals to connect with K-20 educators, classrooms, out of school time programs, and other volunteer opportunities.
- Create your request in GivePulse by selecting “I am looking for volunteers in”, entering your zip code, and hitting the Search button
- Enter your request by completing all the required fields. Be as detailed and specific as possible to have the best chance of connecting with volunteers.
- If you create a “Group” for your organization or school with your request, affiliate it with CTDE so that it shows up on CTDE’s group page for further amplification to STEM volunteers. See GivePulse’s help on Affiliating Groups for more information.
Provide Feedback
Once an engineer has visited your classroom, please fill out this brief Educator Feedback Form. This helps us understand our reach and impact across the region.
Volunteer References or Background Checks
CTDE has performed no references or background checks on these potential volunteers and neither recommends nor certifies any volunteer. It is entirely your responsibility to thoroughly check references or perform any background checks required by your school or district or organization. CTDE provides no warranty, guarantees of suitability, or information other than the ability to contact these potential volunteers, and all liability in any use of volunteers rests only with you. Under no circumstances are CTDE and partnering organizations responsible for any loss or damage resulting from any person’s reliance on this potential volunteer.
Links and Resources
Educator FAQ for Central Texas Discover Engineering
Texas Girls Collaborative Project | Resources and best practices for engaging girls (and all kids) in STEM; educator workshops, regional resource sharing listservs.
Blossoms | Video modules for high school math and science classes created by gifted volunteer teachers from around the world.
CyberChase | An award-winning math mystery cartoon series on PBS KIDS GO! that delights 8-11 year olds with eye-popping action and humor.
Design Squad | Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series from WGBH offers a Teacher’s Guide for middle school STEM teachers.
Engineering Go For It | Engineering descriptions, media and resources for students and teachers from the American Society for Engineering Education.
Teachers TryScience | Web resource for teachers providing free and engaging lessons, along with teaching strategies and resources, designed spark students’ interest in STEM.
TryEngineering | Pre-university engineering education resource geared towards teachers and students.
PBS Learning Media | KLRU and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers like you.
