Engineering Systemisers

Engineering Systemisers is a UCL-led initiative, initially funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, that partners educators and systems engineers with industry experts and schools to empower young students to think and act like Systems Engineers – long before they reach university. The programme addresses the limited early exposure to systems thinking – a core habit of mind for future engineers – in formal education. We use age-appropriate, cooperative, application-specific games, structured workshops, practical learning, and co-design methods to help students engage with complex, real-world challenges across sectors. The initiative also supports schools in co-producing engaging and practical STEM lesson resources. 

“… The students were remarkably engaged throughout, and the activities effectively maintained their focus for an extended period. The session fostered crucial skills. It was particularly rewarding to witness some of the less vocal students find their voice and actively participate, while others developed their listening skills. The activities were not only strongly aligned with the science curriculum, specifically on the topic of energy, but also complemented our school's focus on developing oracy skills …  

“ … I personally haven't seen them so engaged with an activity since we started the Engineering Academy at school! They enjoyed the inter-team competition and liked the fact they were working as individuals for the benefit of a team - this is a really good skill for them to learn … ”