Youth Engineering Solutions Progressions: A PreK–8 Workshop Series

Discover how engineering and computer science learning develop from early childhood through middle school in the YES Progressions Workshop Series. Across three days, you’ll explore the frameworks and design challenges that shape the YES curriculum at each grade band.

By the end of the workshop, you will be:

• Ready to teach YES units

• Confident in engaging students with authentic engineering practices

• Equipped to lead open-ended, inquiry-driven challenges that inspire young problem solvers.

Attend the full series to understand the complete PreK–8 progression or join the individual day most relevant to your teaching.

Day 1: Engineering in Early Childhood
Discover how young children begin thinking like engineers as you engage in a variety of hands-on, developmentally appropriate design challenges from our suite of YES curricular resources. In Engineering Pumpkin Pollinators, you’ll explore pollinators and their importance and use the Engineering Design Process to engineer a hand pollinator that moves pollen from one pumpkin flower to another.

Day 2: Elementary Engineering + Computer Science
Take on the challenge of plastic pollution. You’ll examine how plastics affect marine habitats and communities, then engineer filter prototypes that help keep plastic waste out of the bay. Next, you’ll dive into computer science by training an online image-classification model to tell the difference between animals and trash, exploring how machine learning tools can support environmental problem-solving.

Day 3: Middle School Engineering + Computer Science

Investigate sustainability and performance as you design eco-friendly footwear. In Engineering Eco-Friendly Slippers, you’ll use the Engineering Design Process to create an affordable prototype that offers safe traction, testing how friction changes across different outsole materials on vinyl flooring.
In the companion computer science module, you’ll examine how product durability relates to eco-friendliness and explore how a step counter can help assess a slipper’s lifespan. Using a micro:bit and MakeCode, you’ll design, program, and refine a step-counting algorithm—optimizing it to meet the needs of different users.

Who Should Attend?

These workshops are perfect for classroom educators eager to deepen their STEM practice. They are also well suited for STEM leaders, instructional coaches, administrators, and others preparing to support teachers with the YES curriculum.

Workshop Details:

Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee and will be provided. Free parking with validation.

Special Offer for Massachusetts Public School Educators

Receive discounted registration and a FREE Engineering & Computer Science Materials Kit after the workshop.

Promo Code: MAPublicSchool

Offer available only to educators employed by a Massachusetts public or public charter school, verified by school email. Not sure if your school qualifies? Contact yespl@mos.org