As part of the global commitment to develop a robust STEM workforce for the future, Cricket Media, Inc. and IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization advancing technology for humanity, today announced a partnership to create TryEngineering Together, a unique eMentorship platform giving companies a resource to mobilize their employees as volunteers to inspire and educate the next generation of engineers, scientists and technical professionals.

The new platform leverages the deep STEM knowledge of IEEE and Cricket Media’s award-winning STEM content. TryEngineering Together is modeled on the CricketTogether eMentoring platform, giving companies and their employees meaningful volunteer opportunities to engage online with students and teachers in grades 3-5, particularly with those in economically underserved communities. 

The program’s design is simple and designed to achieve results. Students and company volunteers are matched 1:1 in “eMentoring” relationships to create safe, powerful STEM learning experiences.  Guided by a curriculum designed to be engaging, interactive and thought-provoking, students and their eMentors read short, timely articles related to STEM subjects and discuss hands-on activities that students are experiencing in class. Throughout the academic year, students and mentors communicate regularly online to ask questions, share ideas, investigate new developments and complete projects together. Because the interaction happens online, volunteers can participate anytime from anywhere.

“As the demand for diverse STEM workers continues to outpace supply, forward thinking companies realize that eMentoring will excite and prepare their next-generation workforce,” said Nina Zolt, founder of Cricket Media. “We need to start early if we want to ensure that there is a diverse talent pool of scientists, engineers and technologists to drive the future of innovation. But we can’t do this alone. We need corporate support to reach all of the students who can benefit.”

The focus on delivering STEM mentorship in grades 3-5 is intentional. Once students reach fourth grade research shows one-third have lost an interest in science, and by eighth grade nearly 50 percent have lost interest or deemed it irrelevant to their education or career plans. Reaching and inspiring elementary school students is critical to building young people’s confidence and acumen in STEM.

“By giving students the opportunity to make a personal connection with someone who may be using the same fundamental STEM skills in their everyday work, eMentoring helps reinforce the message that what students are learning in the classroom today will also be of value in the workplaces of tomorrow,” says IEEE Fellow Dr. S. K. Ramesh, IEEE Educational Activities Board Vice President. “This kind of exposure and personal interaction can help plant the seeds that will launch future engineers and technology professionals.”

Launching in January 2018, IEEE and Cricket Media are partnering with STEM focused companies to lead the launch of TryEngineering Together. To learn more or to discuss sponsorship opportunities during the 2017-2018 school year, please visit www.tryengineeringtogether.com or email info@tryengineeringtogether.com. 

About Cricket Media
Cricket Media, Inc. is a global education company providing award-winning content and safe and secure collaborative learning networks. Cricket Media serves millions of teachers, students and parents in over 200 countries and territories to fulfill its mission to engage, enlighten and educate children everywhere. Learn more at www.CricketMedia.com

About IEEE
IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly-cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted “voice” for engineering, computing, and technology information around the globe. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

CricketTogether

CricketTogether

Cricket Media, Inc. is a global education company with a portfolio of pre-K-12 educational platforms, products and safe collaborative learning networks that organizations can use to meaningfully and simply enhance their employee engagement and volunteer initiatives. CricketTogether™, its newest offering, is a powerful 1:1 eMentoring program that brings together Cricket content and caring business professionals to answer the increasing demand for youth mentorship to instill 21^st century skills for success and the desire of employees to be able volunteer more with a flexible anytime, anywhere platform.

As a socially responsible enterprise, Cricket Media’s mission is to promote education equity. The company’s other popular media brands for toddlers to teens include Babybug®, Ladybug®, Cricket® and Cobblestone™, and its free global community, ePals, and CricketTogether™. Cricket Media serves millions of teachers, students and parents in over 200 countries and territories through its platform and NeuPals, its joint venture with China’s leading IT services company Neusoft. Cricket Media also licenses its content and platform to top publishing and educational companies worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.cricketmedia.com.

More from CricketTogether