Professional Learning

e4usa teachers will receive a list of materials for Units 1 and 2. These materials are typically easy to obtain and are low-cost.  As students progress to further units to solve design challenges found in the community, there is no supplies list as it depends on the problem. Typically, teachers purchase supplies costing approximately $500 per class.

Yes! We can provide more specific guidance on teaching the e4usa curriculum in a single semester as a block (double-period length) course.  It cannot be taught as a single semester of a full-year course.  We will also pair you with an e4usa Coach with experience teaching e4usa on a semester block schedule. 

An e4usa Coach is returning teacher with years of experience teaching e4usa. e4usa Coaches receive specific training to effectively support their team of e4usa teachers. The Coach and team meet online monthly, and also stay in contact using another method of communication (e.g., e4usa Connect in the e4usa Hub; e-mail).

An e4usa Liaison is a practicing engineer who agrees to volunteer in your classroom, typically about 3 hours per month.  e4usa finds these volunteers - with your help if you wish - and connects you with them.  Liaisons can be university faculty or staff or engineers who work in industry - or occasionally a retired engineer. The e4usa Liaisons also receive professional development to know how to work with high school teachers and students. Throughout the year, you and your Liaison will be connected about ways in which they can help you and your students.  Admittance to your school property is at the discretion of your school and Liaisons should follow all normal procedures for access.

An e4usa Returning Teacher has completed their first year of teaching e4usa and has engaged in all required professional learning as a new teacher, including the e4usa New Teacher Summer Professional Development, MyDesign Scoring Rubric and Platform Professional Development (i.e, MyDesign 1 Professional Development), and Winter Professional Development, and has participated continuously in the Community of Practice (CoP).

Paying for professional development is an investment in the continual growth of educators. It's crucial to consider the direct benefits of engaging in e4usa professional development, like enhancing your engineering teaching skills, aligning with the latest educational standards, and connecting with a network of engineering educators.

e4usa aims to empower teachers with the resources and knowledge to effectively deliver engineering content, which can significantly enrich the student learning experience. By investing in this professional development, you’re not just improving your own skills, but also contributing to building a stronger foundation in engineering education for your students.

Let’s explore cost-effective ways to access these resources, possibly through school funding, grants, or scholarships, to ensure you can participate without bearing the financial burden alone. Please reach out to professional-learning@e4usa.org to discuss different opportunities and options for paying for professional development. We want to work with every school to ensure educators receive the professional development they are seeking!

With so many amazing professional development offerings, we acknowledge that it can be difficult to decide! To select the appropriate e4usa professional development, teachers should evaluate their needs and identify how the professional development offerings can enhance their teaching and student outcomes in engineering. Teachers' professional goals and aspirations in engineering education should also guide their selection, ensuring the selected professional developments support their career development.

Please reach out to professional-learning@e4usa.org if you have questions or need further assistance with deciding which professional developments to complete!

Additionally, we’ll be asking e4usa teachers for input throughout the year to offer again professional developments that teachers may have missed over the summer and to develop new professional developments!

The professional development and community of practice options are designed to provide opportunities for each teacher to customize their learning to further your professional growth and enhance their impact as an e4usa educator. There are no minimum requirements for engaging in professional development as a returning teacher. However, as a model for your own students, we certainly hope that you will continuously seek opportunities to strengthen your skills and extend your knowledge.

We are continuously seeking ways to enhance our support for teachers and to ensure that our professional learning not only meets but exceeds the needs of e4usa educators. We’ll continuously be adding new professional development options on different topics, as well as evolve our past professional developments. For example, the MyDesign professional developments have undergone exciting changes and we invite you to re-engage with those offerings.

As returning teachers, you have invaluable experiences and are incredible resources to new e4usa educators. We hope that you will always participate in our e4usa professional developments and the community of practice.

Absolutely! e4usa hopes to retain and continuously support the growth of e4usa Coaches, who are essential to the success of e4usa teachers and the Community of Practice!