Engineering is Elementary Records
Content Description
This collection contains the planning, promotion, design, and final products of the Engineering is Elementary Program at the Museum of Science. The goal of the program is to offer hands-on interactive engineering curriculum to educators for them to implement in classrooms, and Engineering is Elementary (EiE) is aligned with educational curriculum standards. As of 2025 EiE is still a product offered by the Museum of Science. The materials in this collection are organized to reflect the product and the work behind EiE, with one series for the administrative materials, one series for the publications and products of the work, and one series containing the original artwork used in the products. Engineering is Elementary produced numerous binders for teachers that included detailed lesson and activity plans with accompanying booklets for student engagement.
Dates
- 2004 - 2018
- Majority of material found within 2005 - 2011
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research with the exception that any institutional records that are less than 25 years old and any personal records that are less than 75 years old are closed to researchers. Certain files which contain sensitive legal, financial, or personal information are restricted. We have limited technology to access CDs and floppy discs in the collection.
Conditions Governing Use
The Engineering is Elementary Program Records is composed of materials that are still under copyright. In particular, the Museum of Science maintains copyright over many of these materials. The records also contain works whose copyright is held by other individuals and organizations. The researcher assumes all responsibility for identifying copyright holders and attaining permission for reproduction.
Biographical / Historical
Engineering is Elementary is an educational program designed by education professionals at the Museum of Science. The program was initiated during a museum-wide push by the museum's own National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL, formed in 2004) to focus on increasing engineering education. Christine Cunningham, Senior Vice President of STEM Learning at the Museum in 2025, started the project with a team in 2003. The program includes lesson plans and activities for teachers and their students, with different plans for a range of ages. Over the years, Engineering is Elementary (EiE) grew and evolved into Youth Engineering Solutions. Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) was started by Christine Cunningham and other former museum employees at Pennsylvania State University in 2019 before being moved back to the Museum of Science in 2024. As of now, EiE is the flagship product of YES and YES is seen as an evolution of EiE.
Extent
13 Linear Feet (19 document boxes, two books, 117 booklets, and 12 flat-file folders containing 366 pieces of artwork)
Language of Materials
English
French
Portuguese
Spanish; Castilian
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into three series: Administrative Materials, Publications, and Artworks. Administrative Materials contain department and program planning records as well as promotional material for the project. Publications is comprised of the booklets and binders produced by the Engineering is Elementary team for use by teachers in classrooms. Included are draft binders and booklets with notes and edits marked inside. Finally, the Artworks series contains the originals and proofs of the art used in the Engineering is Elementary educational publications. The artworks are on paper in a combination of pen, pencil, pastel, colored pencil, and charcoal. Materials within each series are organized in chronological order.
Custodial History
Artworks came from the office of Minnie White but were done by Jeannette Martin or Keith Favazza, depending on the publication. The rest of the materials came from the Engineering is Elementary team and were in storage alongside materials from Engineering the Future.
Accruals
More materials are expected.
Processing Information
Processed by Emily Buff, Archives Management Graduate Intern.
Creator
- Title
- Engineering is Elementary Records Finding Aid
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Emily Buff (Archives Management Graduate Intern)
- Date
- July 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Museum of Science, Boston Archives Repository