Tomorrow's Engineers Week 2026 - Shape our future - Smart support design challenge

This challenge provides a fun, interactive classroom activity on a topic young people care about: Artificial Intelligence (AI). They will be asked to use their own experiences to help ideate and discover solutions to help beat the heat in our schools and learning spaces. Just like engineers, who develop solutions to real-world problems which shape the world around us.

This resource supports the development and practice of:

• communication

• reflection

• problem identification

• solution development

• evaluation

• decision making

Help young people feel inspired about how they can shape our future and that a career in engineering (STEM) could be for them!

Age: 11 to 14

Timing: 60 minutes for the challenge, up to 1 hour or 10 mins per task for the take home activity

Subject: PSHE, careers, tutor time, assembly, STEM Club. All curriculum subjects but suggested subjects could be: science, geography, design and technology, IT and/or computer science.

1x PowerPoint presentation that include teacher notes on each slide which detail:

• aim and duration of the activities

• resources needed

• skills acquired

1x PDF Take home activity sheet with 5 self-led careers focused activities which includes:

• a quiz that links interests and strengths to skills to a range of career areas in engineering

• tasks that encourage discovery, learning and reflection

• ways to communicate their ideas about possible future STEM career steps and pathways

1x PDF Teacher guide to the Tomorrow's Engineers Week Shape our future design challenges

Using this activity

• teachers' notes slides on the PowerPoint will not display in presentation mode and contain further teacher guidance, including sample answers

• the take home activity sheet is a self-led activity. for use in the classroom or at home

• the teacher guide provides the aims, set-up required and adaptations for the Tomorrow's Engineers Week 2026 Shape our future design challenges and next steps, from immediate to long-term

Preparation

• review this presentation and adapt (if required) to meet your students’ needs

• check the embedded video link

• if hyperlink to the videos doesn't work, open the video file in a web browser before the session using the links in the teacher notes on the relevant PowerPoint slides

Key vocabulary

Engineer, sustainability, innovation, adaptation, technology, solutions, human support, automation, human centred design, artificial intelligence (AI), smart technology, data analysis, simulation, predictive technology, personalisation

Skills

Listening, speaking, creativity, problem-solving, planning, leadership.