The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) teamed up with television presenter, Steve Backshall, to deliver this year’s Santa Loves STEM campaign to inspire the next generation.
The IET launched its 2019 Santa Loves STEM campaign to inspire the next generation of engineers and technologists. Partnering with BBC TV’s Deadly 60 presenter, Steve Backshall, this year’s video campaign is a poem all about Santa’s children and how they used their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills to save Christmas.
Reading the IET’s Christmas story next to a cosy fire, Steve Backshall tells us how Santa’s children saved Christmas as we dive into the animated book. Santa’s four children, Sammy Science, Tommy Technology, Evie Engineer and Mollie Mathematician were all given STEM toys when they were younger which had a huge influence on their hobbies and future careers.
The poem tells young people and their influencers the importance of STEM in solving a wide variety of problems and the fulfilling and exciting careers available through studying these subjects.
Watch this year’s Santa Loves STEM video here: theiet.org/santa-loves-stem
The IET’s vision is to engineer a better world and with a shortage of engineers, especially women, in the UK, this important campaign aims to encourage children into STEM in a festive and heart-warming way.
Steve Backshall said: “I loved being a part of this campaign helping to inspire young people into STEM. There is a real need for the next generation to have STEM skills and the IET’s festive campaign is a really engaging way of reaching the younger generation and showing them the ways in which STEM is used to help solve problems of all shapes and sizes.
“The poem is brilliant, and I really enjoyed working with the IET team – I hope everyone loves this year’s Santa Loves STEM as much as I do!”
IET Head of Education, David Lakin, said: “More than 200,000 people with engineering skills are required each year to meet demand through to 2024, however it’s estimated that there will be an annual shortfall of 59,000 engineers and technicians to fill these roles, so IET campaigns like this are essential in breaking the stereotype and showing off the wonderful world of STEM.”
The second part of this campaign is called Look at me now. This looks at the impact of generational influence, profiling STEM professionals and what their influences were as children, shaping them into the individuals they are today, or which subconsciously set them on the road to their future STEM career.
The IET want STEM professionals to come forward and be part of this campaign to tell their story. If you’d like to get involved, contact [email protected]
Visit the IET’s education website to watch this year’s Santa Loves STEM video or follow the IET on Facebook.
