The Education Development Institute (EDI), part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education (PUE), and Boeing have collaborated to introduce an interactive program focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The program, titled the ‘Curiosity Machine to Qatar’, will target children in Grades 3 to 5.

The Curiosity Machine program, created by US-based non-profit Iridescent, teaches STEM learning through hands-on engineering design challenges, each of which presents fundamental science or engineering concepts and asks students to use simple materials to come up with possible solutions.

EDI enabled the training of 16 teachers from several academies under Qatar Foundation. Two expert educators from Iridescent travelled from the US to deliver the training, bringing to life examples of the design challenges and principles of engineering design processes. Additionally, teachers used online resources to access a large suite of design challenges to utilize with their students. The training will allow nearly 200 students to benefit from this innovative program for this academic year.

Buthaina Ali al Nuaimi, President of PUE, said: “We appreciate this co-operation with Boeing, which has brought an innovative approach to promote STEM education in schools through the Curiosity Machine program. We believe that such partnerships enrich our students’ learning experiences and inspire the leaders of the future.”

“We believe a talented workforce is the key for any organization or country to succeed,” said Bernard Dunn, President, Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. “By investing in high-quality, engaging education, we want to empower a new generation of aerospace visionaries that have abilities, belief and interest in STEM.”