Across the globe, young people live in a changing world where success is increasingly dependent on facility in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). But not all school systems have access to STEM training and resources, and not just in the U.S., but around the world.
Now a team of Tufts researchers is working to change that with a new project, the LEGO Foundation Tech and Play initiative, which will partner with organizations in Brazil, Kenya, and Rwanda to co-develop tools and training that can prepare students to be the next generation of changemakers. That means thinking like scientists and engineers: fostering innovation, taking risks, learning from failure, and trying again. It also means encouraging play.
“Play and engineering look really similar in some ways,” said Merredith Portsmore, E98, A98, G99, EG10, director of the Center for Engineering Education and…