What is the event?

I’m an Engineer, Get me out of Here! is an online event where students get to meet and interact with real engineers. It’s an X Factor-style competition between the engineers, where your students are the judges. Students submit questions which the engineers will try to answer by the next day. Students then have live online Facebook-style chats with the engineers, where they ask questions, learn more about the engineers, and let engineers know their opinions. It takes place online over a two week period.

It’s completely free for UK schools to take part.

Students can:

ASK questions

CHAT to engineers online

Then VOTE for the engineer they think deserves the prize

How does the event work?

What’s involved?:

Your students interact with real engineers online and learn about the wide range of opportunities in engineering. It engages the less engaged students, because they are talking to real engineers and they get a say over something.

Target audience:

Year 9s to post-16 (differentiated resources supplied).

Time involved:

The event is very flexible, but we recommend a minimum of three 1 hour lessons spent on I’m an Engineer. Most teachers spend 4-6 lessons. If you use everything there is enough material for about 12 lessons. The event itself lasts for two weeks, but the site will be online for two weeks beforehand so that you can do background work.

Open to all schools, or other educational settings, in the UK or Republic of Ireland. The event has been successfully used in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: in mainstream schools, sixth form colleges, special schools, pupil referral units and other non-mainstream educational settings. It may sound like we are claiming it’s the magic event that can do everything, but the activity is very flexible because so much of the activity is pupil-led (e.g. they ask the questions they want to). This means different age groups, ability levels, and backgrounds all get something out of it.

How does the event support the curriculum?

I’m an Engineer is designed to help Maths, D&T and Science teachers raise awareness of the wide range of opportunities in engineering, and bring engineering to life for students.

• Introduces engineering into lessons and supports engineering-related aspects of Maths, D&T and Science curriculum
• Develops and deepens students understanding of the social impact of engineering
• Provides an alternative ways of involving engineers in school
• Inspires and energises students, showing them the range and excitement of engineering.
• Gets students enthusiastic about engineering as a possible career
• Helps students realise that engineers are human!
• Supported by lesson plans, information sheets, and resources for different ages and ability levels, between years 9 – 13.

As one teacher told us about I’m a Scientist, “They worked really hard during this event, but they didn’t seem to think of it as work.” You can read more about what teachers, students and scientists thought about the sister I’m a Scientist event in our evaluation reports on the pilot or the event in 2010. Here is an article written for a school newspaper by a teenager, about the experience of taking part in I’m a Scientist.

Want to know more?

• Teacher FAQs – Detailed questions that participating teachers often ask