By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • • 0 Comments

STEM Activities for Kids to Enjoy During Quarantine

For kids who hated to wake up and get ready for school, the recent stay-at-home orders likely seemed like a welcome break from the normal routine. But, even for the children who were not fans of the daily school routine, after being stuck at home for over a month, the novelty has likely long since worn off.

Not to worry, we have compiled a list of fun activities and websites that can help stave off boredom for at least the next few weeks.

  1. Dr. Kate Biberdorf (Kate the Chemist), on the Today website, offers up recommendations for two science experiments for kids, including the creation of homemade puffy slime.
  2. The Legends of Learning website is currently offering access to free math and science games.
  3. LiveScience.com has listed a roundup of activities and resources available to supplement home learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
  4. The James Dyson Foundation, an organization aimed at raising up and educating the next generation of engineers in the United Kingdom (UK), is offering 44 science challenges, available for download, on its website.
  5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created a website that offers education for kids in the area of artificial intelligence (AI).
  6. Bonus for parents: Check out this article on what Google is doing to launch a new category of apps in the Google Play Store called, “Teacher Approved”. When you download any of these apps, which can be found within the Kids tabs in the Play Store, you can rest assured that these apps have been pre-approved by educators.

Being stuck at home does not have to be boring. It can be an opportunity for kids to engage in the kind of fun educational activities they would not otherwise have time for. And best of all, they get to enjoy these activities while spending quality time with you.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • 0 Comments

Engineers Are Celebrated During National Engineers Week

This week is National Engineers Week!

This week-long event recognizes engineers as a central asset to our world and celebrates their “positive contributions to quality of life,” according to the National Society of Engineers.

Engineers created structures like the Hoover Dam, the Panama Canal, and even the Great Wall of China! Without engineers, these massive and impressive feats would have never come to be.

Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, National Engineers Week has coincided for over 50 years with the week of President George Washington’s birthday (February 22nd) to pay homage to the nation’s first engineer. Washington was introduced to engineering at an early age, often partaking in land surveying opportunities and ultimately going on to design a country estate on a plantation he’d inherited — Mount Vernon.

Each year, DiscoverE, an organization focused on supporting and promoting growth of the engineering and technology communities, encourages children to explore the STEM community through interactive lessons, child-friendly activities, and involvement with their own local engineering communities.

Across the nation in cities like Port Jefferson, NY; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California; DiscoverE hosts a series of workshops and presentations to promote the importance of engineering. Children are able to meet and speak with veteran engineers, participate in fun, educational activities, and learn about the global scale of engineered contributions.

For more information on upcoming STEM events sponsored by DiscoverE, visit http://www.discovere.org.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • 0 Comments

Tips for Managing Work Stress

 

The engineering field is increasingly touted as one of the best STEM career fields for college students to pursue. It pays well, there are many specialties within the field that students can opt to study, and there is an almost never-ending supply of job opportunities.

While engineering is a stable, well-paying field, both the abundance and importance of the work can sometimes make it stressful. Some helpful tips for managing job stress can go a long way in preventing you from becoming overwhelmed or burned out while on the job.

Engineers constantly contend with looming deadlines, which can cause unexpected stress. Before you start a project, break it up into smaller, manageable tasks and make a schedule for yourself that contains a timeline for accomplishing each task.

Consider delegating certain tasks or asking others for assistance in accomplishing the work. Teamwork is an important component for any project, and being afraid or ashamed to ask for help can actually derail your career and personal growth.

Find coping tools that help alleviate stress. Whether it’s exercising or pursuing a hobby before or after your shift; listening to music while you work; or taking a five-minute break during the day to stretch your legs, take a few deep breaths, and just clear your mind – figure out what helps you and find ways to incorporate those strategies into your routine.

Don’t feel that you have to suffer in silence. This doesn’t mean you should sow seeds of discontent by complaining to anyone who will listen, but if you feel the project deadline is unrealistic for your workload, have a candid conversation with your supervisor. They likely have the experience, knowledge, and insight that can maximize your productivity and may be able to approve overtime to help you meet the deadline. Additionally, your supervisor may delegate some of the work to others on your team to help lift the weight from your shoulders.

Even if the deadline is set in stone, articulating that you are invested in doing your level best to meet the deadline will go a long way toward demonstrating your maturity, conscientiousness, and commitment to the company.

Finally, think positively. Allowing yourself to become mentally bogged down in a vortex of worry, anger, and confusion can actually slow your productivity. If you spend too much time focusing on the idea that you can’t accomplish the task, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Instead, rise to the occasion. Make a plan and get to work. Find solutions, not problems. Instead of focusing on the negative, find ways to adapt and solve problems. Don’t allow negativity, whether from others or in your own mind, to sabotage you. Focus your mind and energy on being a problem-solver. This will get you further and can help you stand out as an innovator and someone who takes initiative.

At the end of the day, we each have a lot more control over the success of every project than we think, but it all starts with our mindset.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • 0 Comments

The Building Blocks of Little Engineers

Today’s toy market is making it easier than ever for kids to find a passion for engineering. With big companies such as K’NEX and LEGO® coming out with more educational and stimulating toys, kids are able to develop problem solving and innovative skills at an early age. Both K’NEX and LEGO® now have education lines marketed towards schools and kids eager to learn hands on.

K’NEX is the younger of the two companies, but their focus on kids’ creativity in the classroom has made them a notable toy and learning tool. K’NEX Education features sets that teach kids how to build bridges, amusement park rides, and even renewable energy machines. Their focus on STEM toys allows teachers to have a creative and understandable approach towards complicated theories and equations that some kids have trouble understanding. By allowing for hands-on application of what is taught in the classroom, students are able to have a deeper comprehension of the subject as well as real world application.

LEGO® Education is another tool that gives teachers a more relatable medium in which to reach their students. These sets have allowed kids to take more effective control over STEM subjects. While original LEGO® bricks have always taught kids to think creatively and innovatively, LEGO® Education puts the focus more directly on the negotiation of complicated fields such as robotics and computer science. With the LEGO® Education SPIKE Prime, kids are invited to take their creations to the next level. Surpassing the physical bricks, LEGO® has created an easy-to-learn system that incorporates computer coding and programming to create functioning robots.

Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for engineers and other STEM professions. As technology advances and the world begins to change, younger generations will have to find a way to navigate within it. These toys are great tools to get them started.

Disclaimer: LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Tips for Managing Engineering Work Stress

The engineering field is increasingly touted as one of the best STEM career fields for college students to pursue. It pays well, there are many specialties within the field that students can opt to study, and there is an almost never-ending supply of job opportunities.

While engineering is a stable, well-paying field, both the abundance and importance of the work can sometimes make it stressful. Some helpful tips for managing job stress can go a long way in preventing you from becoming overwhelmed or burned out while on the job.

Engineers constantly contend with looming deadlines, which can cause unexpected stress. Before you start a project, break it up into smaller, manageable tasks and make a schedule for yourself that contains a timeline for accomplishing each task.

Consider delegating certain tasks or asking others for assistance in accomplishing the work. Teamwork is an important component for any project, and being afraid or ashamed to ask for help can actually derail your career and personal growth.

Find coping tools that help alleviate stress. Whether it’s exercising or pursuing a hobby before or after your shift; listening to music while you work; or taking a five-minute break during the day to stretch your legs, take a few deep breaths, and just clear your mind – figure out what helps you and find ways to incorporate those strategies into your routine.

Don’t feel that you have to suffer in silence. This doesn’t mean you should sow seeds of discontent by complaining to anyone who will listen, but if you feel the project deadline is unrealistic for your workload, have a candid conversation with your supervisor. They likely have the experience, knowledge, and insight that can maximize your productivity and may be able to approve overtime to help you meet the deadline. Additionally, your supervisor may delegate some of the work to others on your team to help lift the weight from your shoulders.

Even if the deadline is set in stone, articulating that you are invested in doing your level best to meet the deadline will go a long way toward demonstrating your maturity, conscientiousness, and commitment to the company.

Finally, think positively. Allowing yourself to become mentally bogged down in a vortex of worry, anger, and confusion can actually slow your productivity. If you spend too much time focusing on the idea that you can’t accomplish the task, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Instead, rise to the occasion. Make a plan and get to work. Find solutions, not problems. Instead of focusing on the negative, find ways to adapt and solve problems. Don’t allow negativity, whether from others or in your own mind, to sabotage you. Focus your mind and energy on being a problem-solver. This will get you further and can help you stand out as an innovator and someone who takes initiative.

At the end of the day, we each have a lot more control over the success of every project than we think, but it all starts with our mindset.