Inspiring Next Generation Engineers?

There remains little doubt that as our society grows more dependent on technology, developing a new generation of engineers is paramount to ensuring the speed of technical growth continues to advance. But what are the best methods to inspire young, fledgling engineers — be they boys or girls. What follows is a collection of gifts sure to make understanding complex concepts fun and quite possibly inspire children into considering an education and career in engineering.

Engineering Books Aimed at Young Readers and More

There are a host of excellent books that do a great job of explaining technology for the budding engineer. Some even are an enjoyable read for those currently in the industry or anyone with an interest in science. One such book is 1001 Inventions That Changed the World, an absorbing tome chronicling inventions that held, or continue to hold, a profound influence on daily life in the worlds of medicine, transportation, electronics and more. In addition to providing inspiration for a young engineer, it also serves nicely as a reference volume for the entire family.

This world needs more women engineers. A book aimed at girls in grades fifth through eighth, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women, offers a glimpse at a range of innovations developed by women. The book covers a variety of subjects, from the mother of The Monkees’, Mike Nesmith, inventing White-Out to a female engineer working for NASA, who created the “Space Bumper.” This is a title sure to invoke the possibilities for future female scientists.

Toys for the Engineers of the Future

How many current engineers received a LEGO set when they were younger? Is there a better toy to help youngsters discover the joy of devising and building their own contraptions? LEGO’s Builders of Tomorrow set features 650 colorful LEGO bricks that can used to construct nearly anything. It is aimed at children aged 4-10, a perfect age for inspiring a future engineer.

A book series with a small construction set aimed at young girls is GoldieBlox, developed by Debbie Sterling, a Stanford engineering graduate looking to foster the growth of more female engineers. A successful kickstarter funding campaign means GoldieBlox should be hitting the toy stores around the United States very shortly.

Inspiring the next generation of engineers is important, as is inspiring today’s current generation. Helping you find the best in engineering jobs, the Talley Group is known as one of the top engineering recruiters in the Seattle area. Schedule some time to talk with them today.