Welcome, Teachers! Engineers Ireland is looking to find talented young engineers across the country through its flagship competition: the STEPS Young Engineers Award.
The STEPS Young Engineers Award is aimed at 3rd and 4th class primary school students in the Republic of Ireland. Students taking part identify a project they would like to do that would improve their community.
This is a project-style competition. Teachers divide the class into teams up to 6. Each team comes up with a project idea by identifying something they would like to improve in their community.
The students follow a structured STEPS Project Book comprising a series of worksheets. The book itself is self-explanatory and the teacher’s role is that of facilitator. There is no requirement for any background in engineering to take part!
Projects are judged by a panel of engineers from diverse backgrounds. All participants are celebrated in December for the Christmas party (with a surprise special guest), and in May for the STEPS Young Engineers Award Online Ceremony and STEPS Live Engineering Show.
To find out more of the experience watch the Teacher Spotlight Video. You can check out previous winners and finalists in the All Stars Section on the website or you can see if your questions can be answered in the FAQ section.
We encourage all teachers to offer the students the opportunity to present their projects. This is an optional part of the project, as students will not be judged on their presentations. However, it is very beneficial for students. They will grow in confidence an enjoy the experience of showcasing their work. We designate the last week in November as Presentation Week. There are lots of options for the showcase: invite a parent or past pupil engineer to the class, invite the principal, host a parent’s event. STEPS also offer the opportunity to host a STEPS Volunteer Engineer. The STEPS Young Engineers Award is aligned with the STEPS Volunteer Engineer Programme. Registered teachers can request a visit from one of our Volunteer Engineers through our online STEPS app. STEPS Engineers visit a class to listen to the students’ presentations and to give encouraging feedback. The STEPS Volunteer will also give a brief talk on their life as an engineer. There is a deadline to request a Volunteer Engineer – so watch out for email updates.
Linked curriculum
STEM CPD
Student-led
Watch your students shine
Team work
Introduce engineering at a young age
Break barriers
Presentation skills
Our Teacher’s Getting Started Mini-series is a great place to start for new and returning teachers. It features 6 short 6 minute videos on 6 topics relevant to you, including content on getting started from Muinteoir Valerie and As Creatives.