Community Activity

I used to look for them to arrive in late July or early August – after the county fair, but before the state fair. Each would be about two inches thick with a glossy cover featuring beautiful people wrapped in warm coats, smiling in the snow, or wearing clean flannel shirts and new blue jeans gathered around a huge pile of brown and red maple leaves. The Fall catalogs from Sears and JCPenny were my cue to start thinking about school again.

This was before Amazon – or even Walmart – and growing up miles from town made “shopping” difficult. I would pore over those catalogs picking out things I liked and then sit down with my mom to “discuss” what we’d order. It was a big deal.

Things didn’t always work out the way I planned (moms are good are keeping it real). But searching through those catalogs helped me decide where I was going and what I wanted. And that went a long way to giving me the courage to wear whatever I had with confidence.

I loved that moment when I flipped through the pages of a new catalog for the first time. It was a moment poised on the first crest of a roller coaster — when all things are possible — before the rush of the ride carries you through twists and turns, maybe even some crazy loops, and then deposits you back in reality. It’s a moment I can’t help associating with the start of school.

I don’t know if you approach a new school year with the same feeling, but I hope so. I hope you will look upon the resources here at LinkEngineering like I saw those Fall catalogs: full of possibilities.

There are lots of resources available here as you prepare for the coming year:

Ten Ways to Start Engineering this School Year is a wonderful post from last year about getting started with engineering in your classroom.

LinkEngineering’s Video Conversation Series is a great collection of webinars that walk you through many of the basics of preK-12 engineering education.

The LinkEngineering Blog has numerous posts to help you inspire you with ideas and activities.

Why Use Engineering Education? provides excellent talking points to help you make the case for implementing curriculum changes.

Our ever-growing collection of engineering education resources gives you easy access to engineering lesson plans, articles, and professional development opportunities.

We want to LinkEngineering to help you help your students, so if there are other resources that you would like to see, send us an email or submit a comment below.

Finally, good luck with your new school year! Whether you’re already in the firm grip of the ride or still climbing that first hill contemplating what may be ahead, we hope you can remember and hold on to that soaring feeling that anything is possible.

Photo Credits:

Book image by Justine FG from FreeImages