It is important that club leaders embrace the non-linear, uncertain, and ever-changing nature of engineering and design. You can do this through ensuring your facilitation helps club members feel empowered to guide their own learning (as opposed to telling them how to do the activities). In practice, this type of facilitation will have you set up an activity and then step back, being available to support as needed, but letting your engineers’ curiosity and creativity guide the activity. This might seem difficult (especially if club members are struggling); however, the learning that happens as kids work through that process is good for them. And the more you can embrace ambiguity and model a flexible mindset for the kids you work with, the more they will learn to be flexible and resilient themselves—important skills not just for engineering but for life in general!
After completing this section, what do you think will be most challenging for you in facilitating kid-centered engineering and design activities? What strategies could you use to meet that challenge?