One of the core elements we consider when designing STEM activities for our learners is the Engineering Design Process, or EDP. The process is a set of steps that guide us - or any professional engineer, scientist or mathematician - through solving a problem. But what do each of the steps really mean?

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we’ve gathered a list of organizations working to promote Indigenous and Native excellence in STEM, from students at the university level to professionals throughout their careers. Some include paid memberships and events, others have 100% free resources for students and professionals seeking information about advancement in their field.

As part of our celebration of Latinx Heritage month, we examined representation of Latin American students in STEM education and career fields. Looking at retention and advancement rates for Indigenous and Hispanic specialists in various fields and degree paths, we’ve seen some areas for improvement and some exciting strides toward equity in science, technology engineering and math.

One exciting feature of the Engineering and Computer Science Essentials curriculum is a set of resources focused on the EiE Habits of Mind. Today, we’ll examine two of those resources: Lesson-Specific Habits and Habits of Mind Discussion Prompts.

As part of the development of the Engineering and Computer Science Essentials curriculum, the EiE team created the EiE Habits of Mind, a list of 19 practices used by engineers and computer scientists. Today, we’ll look more closely at how this list is useful in the classroom.