Youth Engineering Solutions Progressions: A PreK–8 Workshop Series

Discover how engineering and computer science learning develops 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

In Trash Collectors, you’ll experience a Kindergarten engineering unit and design a trash collector that can remove trash from a model pond. In Engineering Nightlights, you’ll use the Engineering Design Process to design a nightlight that provides different amounts of light for two people sharing a room—exploring how we use light to see, how materials interact with light, and ways light can be used to communicate.

Day 2: Elementary Engineering + Computer Science

Use the Engineering Design Process to create a plastic filter that reduces waste flowing from a river into a bay, applying what you learn about plastics to meet the needs of different community members. Then explore how a machine learning model can classify photos as animals or trash. You’ll see how the model relies on patterns in its training data to make predictions—and improve its accuracy by adding new examples.

Day 3: Middle School Engineering + Computer Science

In Engineering Earthquake-Resistant Buildings, you'll design a structure that can withstand shaking by exploring how building height, soil type, and structural technologies work together. In the computer science module, you’ll program micro:bits to measure and transmit accelerometer data between devices—modeling a key feature of an earthquake early warning system.

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.