Our Educational Philosophy
What We Do
At The Works Museum, our mission is to inspire the next generation of innovators, engineers, and creative problem solvers. In our summer camps and programs, we teach kids that engineering is about much more than completing projects. Camp activities are designed to help children develop important Engineering Habits of Mind, as identified by the National Academy of Engineering, including creativity, optimism, persistence, systems thinking, conscientiousness, and collaboration.
Engineering Habits of Mind
CREATIVITY - the ability to think in a way that is different from the norm in order to develop original ideas.
OPTIMISM - the ability to look at the more favorable side of an event or to expect the best outcomes in various situations.
PERSISTENCE - the ability to follow through with a course of action despite of the challenges and oppositions one may encounter.
SYSTEMS THINKING - the ability to recognize that all technological solutions are systems of interacting elements that are also embedded within larger man-made and/or natural systems and that each component of these systems are connected and impact each other.
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS - the ability to focus on performing one’s duties well and with the awareness of the impact that their own behavior has on everything around them.
COLLABORATION - the ability to work with others to complete a task and achieve desired goals.
Engineering Design Process
Throughout the camp week, campers explore hands-on engineering challenges that encourage them to think critically and solve problems creatively. Educators provide a set of constraints for each activity, but many of the challenges are open-ended, giving campers the freedom to try out different ideas and discover multiple solutions.
Campers experience the engineering design process firsthand as they design, build, test, redesign, and test again. Along the way, they gain confidence using real tools and materials, while learning that problem-solving often takes patience and persistence. We also encourage campers to continue engineering at home using everyday materials and their own creativity and goals.
Identi-beads
At the end of each camp day, campers reflect on their experiences and add an “Identibead” to their camp lanyard. Each bead color represents a different engineering skill, and campers choose the bead that best connects to a challenge they overcame, a lesson they learned, or a success they achieved that day. It’s a meaningful way for campers to recognize their growth as young engineers while celebrating everything they accomplished through hands-on learning.
Our Core Focus Areas
Below are the core focus areas we prioritize in our summer camps. We hope campers have fun while discovering that engineering is everywhere - and that everyone engineers!
