EMU STEM Ed Institute Activates the Youngest Cohort of Future Architects, Engineers, and Communicators

On February 18, the STEM Ed Institute sparked a wave of energy at Perry Early Learning Center as Kindergarteners stepped into the roles of ambitious architects and engineers. The EMU STEM Ed Institute team set the stage for a day of high-energy building, tasking student teams with creating custom homes for a wild cast of stuffed animal clients like lions, giraffes, zebras, and elephants. Armed with Strawbees, which are flexible mechanical straws that snap together with ease, the children jumped into action to adapt their builds to fit their specific animals. The classroom was buzzing with creativity as groups designed everything from towering multi-story skyscrapers to luxury estates featuring swimming pools and gaming rooms. STEM Ed facilitators and teachers cheered the students on, focusing on the power of teamwork to ensure every child played a vital part in bringing these structures to life.

The excitement reached a new level when the young builders faced a surprise renovation challenge. Each group received a toy vehicle, ranging from school buses to fire trucks and police cars, and had to figure out how to engineer a custom garage to fit. This required quick thinking and clever problem-solving to modify their blueprints on the spot. To wrap up the day, the students transformed into charismatic real estate agents to pitch their finished masterpieces to the whole class. One representative from each group led a grand tour, proudly showing off each room, highlighting their teammates' hard work, and even setting a market price for the property. While the designs were world-class, the young agents kept things fair, with most of these incredible custom homes staying remarkably affordable!

By the end of the visit, the room was filled with proud smiles and a sense of shared accomplishment. These young learners walked away not just with a better understanding of engineering and design, but with the confidence that comes from solving big challenges together. It was a day where small hands built big dreams, proving that the next generation of innovators is already hard at work.

Perry Early Learners show off their house which includes a satellite dish and piping infrastructure!

About the EMU STEM Ed Institute

Founded in 2023, the Institute for STEM Education, Outreach and Workforce Development at Eastern Michigan University, is a community-driven hub to promote STEM education and encourage local students to pursue a career in the STEM fields and skilled trades. The mission of the STEM Ed Institute is to serve and sustainably support and strengthen the community's cultural wealth related to STEM educational opportunity, outreach, and workforce development. For more information, please visit the STEM Ed Institute website.