2024 CTE Works! Summit

Looking for innovative ways to engage your students in STEM and engineering? This session is designed to show CTE educators how Chain Reaction Machines can be a powerful, cross-curricular tool for sparking student interest and creativity across all backgrounds and interests. Unlike many STEM-related projects that often appeal more to boys, Chain Reaction Machines provide an inclusive platform that captivates a diverse range of learners. Learn how to seamlessly integrate these projects into your curriculum to inspire students of all demographics to explore engineering and STEM career pathways. We’ll also introduce the Engineering Machine Design Contest (EMDC), an accessible, low-cost competition that brings real-world context into the classroom. Join us for a hands-on activity where you’ll build your own Chain Reaction Machine and walk away with practical strategies and resources to implement immediately in your classroom.

This session presents an innovative approach for CTE educators to integrate Chain Reaction Machines into their curriculum, fostering student engagement in engineering and STEM fields. Chain Reaction Machines, which consist of simple actions triggering subsequent steps, are a dynamic, low-cost way to teach engineering and technology principles while promoting critical thinking and teamwork.

Participants will learn how to implement these projects in their classrooms, connecting them to relevant career pathways. The session will also introduce the Engineering Machine Design Contest (EMDC), which provides students from all backgrounds and interests with a real-world platform to apply their skills in a low-cost, competitive setting.

Attendees will participate in a hands-on activity, using provided materials to build their own Chain Reaction Machine, mirroring the student experience. This practical exercise will equip educators with the tools and strategies to bring this engaging project to their students, inspiring interest in engineering and technical careers across all student demographics.

The session is designed to be practical and immediately applicable. It offers educators new methods to engage students in cross-curricular engineering design while preparing them for future success in STEM careers.

After this session, you will be able to:

1. Understand how to integrate Chain Reaction Machines into the CTE curriculum to engage students in cross-curricular engineering design.
2. Explore career pathways related to engineering and technical fields using Chain Reaction Machines.
3. Gain knowledge of the Engineering Machine Design Contest (EMDC) and its role in motivating students and applying classroom learning.
4. Participate in a hands-on activity to build a Chain Reaction Machine, developing practical skills for classroom implementation."