Free Tools to Help Students Explore Engineering Careers and Envision Their Future
In middle school and high school science and engineering classrooms, connecting abstract concepts to real-world applications is a powerful way to keep students engaged. But what is even more impactful? Helping students see themselves as future problem-solvers and innovators.
To support this goal, Start Engineering, a leader in STEM career readiness, has developed these free, classroom-ready tools: Engineering Accomplishments Presentation, the Engineering Career Guide, and Jobs of the Future: Engineering in Action Activity Guide.
These resources were designed with middle school and high school learners in mind and offer engaging ways to spark meaningful classroom discussions, support engineering career exploration, and foster critical thinking around how engineering shapes the world.
Each resource stands on its own but works even better when used together. Here’s what they offer, and how you can use them to elevate your classroom instruction and discussions.
1. Engineering Accomplishments
Use it to: Introduce engineering through real-world impact.
This printable “card deck” highlights some of the most important engineering breakthroughs of the 20th century, from electrification to spacecraft. Students begin to understand that engineering isn't just about equations; it’s about improving lives through innovation.
Try this in class:
- Bell Ringers or Warm-Ups: Display one engineering accomplishment and have students guess what it is based on a short description.
- STEM History Tie-Ins: Link each engineering accomplishment to its historical context or scientific foundation.
Engineering Design Prompts: Ask, “What problem did this solve?” to lead into student design challenges.
2. Engineering Career Guide
Use it to: Connect students to career pathways in engineering.
With clear explanations of different engineering fields, potential salaries, real-world applications, and industry partners, this career guide helps students connect classroom learning with future possibilities. The layout is student-friendly and engaging, perfect for classroom use.
Try this in class:
- Career Day or Advisory Period: Assign students a field (e.g., biomedical, environmental, mechanical) to present to the class.
- Post-Secondary Planning: Use the guide to help students select high school courses that align with their career goals.
Student Reflection Journals: After reading about different fields, ask students to reflect on which discipline most excites them and why.
3. Jobs of the Future: Engineering in Action
Use it to: Explore emerging technologies and inspire future-ready thinking.
Built around hands-on activities and discussion prompts, this classroom guide encourages students to think about the role of engineers in tackling tomorrow’s challenges. Students connect current innovations, like solar windows and AI-powered prosthetics, to global issues like sustainability, healthcare, and infrastructure.
This guide also encourages students to develop their ‘science identity’, or a foundational sense of belonging and self-perception as scientists.
Try this in class:
- True/False Engagement Activity: Begin with the surprising “Did you know?” statements from the guide to spark student interest.
- Grand Challenges Discussions: Use the included worksheets to help students explore real-world issues and imagine how engineering could help solve them.
Capstone Project Foundations: Let students choose one “job of the future”, or Grand Challenge, and research how it connects to science, math, and social impact.
Why These Resources Work in Today’s Classrooms
These tools are aligned with NGSS science and engineering practices and support college and career readiness goals. More importantly, they help students:
- Recognize the real-world impact of STEM knowledge
- Explore inclusive and varied pathways into engineering
- Imagine themselves as contributors to future solutions
Whether you use them in a single lesson or weave them into a semester-long project, these resources can help your students shift from “learning science” to “doing engineering” and see a future where they are part of the solution.
Looking for more ready-to-use STEM resources?
Visit Start Engineering or explore additional career readiness tools and resources.
About Start Engineering
Start Engineering's goal is to inspire and inform students about opportunities in "careers of the future," including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, and engineering. Our books and learning resources teach students from K-12 (and their teachers and parents, too!) what these fields are all about and highlight career pathways that can suit students of all backgrounds and interests. And we are always eager to engage and partner with the larger community of academic institutions, companies, foundations, and non-profits working to get kids excited about these rewarding, dynamic career options.
© 2025 Start Engineering. Not for resale, redistribution, or use other than classroom use without permission.
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