Children have many dreams and aspirations, and now a team of engineers is doing their bit to ensure engineering is among those dreams.
Bedtime Stories for Very Young Engineers is a voluntary project that aims to inspire young children through the power of storytelling, and Kate Castle, Bridge Programme Manager for the Rochester Bridge Trust, is one of the storytellers.
Kate explains: “At the Trust we are firm believers that it’s never too soon to inspire future engineers, and being a mum I’ve seen for myself how inquisitive young children can be.
“Bedtime Stories for Very Young Engineers is similar to learning through play, in that it encourages engineering ideas without making children feel like they are being taught.”
A team of more than 30 engineers from different disciplines and countries has individually written and recorded their own bedtime stories, each highlighting their own engineering speciality.
Kate has written and recorded two stories, Orin the Bridge Troll, and Key and the Castle Bridge. Both encourage children to think about bridge building.
In Orin the Bridge Troll, the lead character uses her engineering skills to make a bridge strong enough to carry a troupe of goats, while in Key and the Castle Bridge the youngster finds the best material for building a bridge.
Kate adds: “One of my stories is about a girl, and in the other the child’s gender is never identified. This was important to me because I wanted to make my stories as accessible as possible to all children: by making Key simply a child I was immediately breaking down the barrier of gender stereotyping.”
Both of Kate’s stories and a selection of others by engineers are now available to listen to on the Bedtime Stories for Very Young Engineers’ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwE6YaBwXImKAXtlMpaMVDyl8oamBi73S
You can find out more about the project on the website: https://www.storytellingengineers.com/