Engineering the Future Records
Content Description
Engineering the Future is an educational program made with the goal of creating a high school engineering course that all students could enroll in, regardless of if they wanted to pursue engineering in postsecondary education, that could also be recognized as a high school laboratory science course. This collection contains the research, design, published materials, and study materials from the Engineering the Future (ETF) product: "Engineering the Future; Science, Technology, and the Design Process." This product was an educational curriculum designed at the Museum of Science composed of four major projects that could also be a year-long course. The Museum of Science published course materials, including workbooks and textbooks, for the program. The team tested different versions of the product with participating high school science teachers and received extensive feedback from the teachers and their students before finalizing the course. This collection is broken into three series: Administrative Materials, Program Evaluation, and Program Materials, with materials within each series organized chronologically.
Dates
- 1996 - 2019
- Majority of material found within 2005 - 2009
Creator
- Museum of Science, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts) (Organization)
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 electronic materials in the collection.
Conditions Governing Use
The Engineering the Future 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 the Future was started in 2005 by Cary Sneider and his team at the Museum of Science. Engineering the Future (ETF) was formed after a similar engineering education program at the museum, Engineering is Elementary (EiE), began to gather steam. ETF was connected to the same center at the museum as EiE, the National Center for Technological Literacy. The Engineering the Future created a lab- and activity-based program for high-school level students. The original product of Engineering the Future is still a product of the Museum of Science but at this point it is largely offered by outside organizations.
Extent
6.2 Linear Feet (20 textbooks and workbooks (~2 lf), 10 document boxes, and digital surrogates of 9 activity kits.)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is broken into three series: Administrative Materials, Program Evaluation, and Program Materials. Administrative Materials includes the planning documents for the program as well as contracts, grant proposals, and publicity. Program evaluation is composed of testing the materials in high school science classrooms and includes paricipation consent forms and teacher and student feedback. Program Materials are the final versions of the product, which includes textbooks, workbooks, and activity kits. Folders within each series are arranged in chronological order, and this collection has as a whole been organized at the folder level.
Custodial History
These items were found in storage combined with Engineering is Elementary materials.
Accruals
More materials are expected.
Processing Information
Processed by Emily Buff, Archives Management Graduate Intern
Creator
- Museum of Science, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts) (Organization)
- Title
- Engineering the Future Records Finding Aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Emily Buff (Archives Management Graduate Intern)
- Date
- August 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