Workforce Development Bundle

7 Classroom Kits | Serves 15–45 Students

Don't Just Teach STEM. Show Students Where STEM Can Take Them.

The Workforce Development Bundle connects classroom science and engineering with the systems, technologies and careers that keep our communities running.

Students explore mechanical systems, renewable energy, hydraulics, heating and cooling, architecture, water infrastructure and drone technology through hands-on engineering challenges.

It's STEM with a purpose: students see why they're learning it.

The collection is particularly well suited to career and technical education, workforce-development initiatives, middle and high school STEM, career exploration, afterschool programs and summer programs.

STIIX itself positions projects such as Rocket and Glider as entry points into aviation/aerospace career pathways and Water Systems as a hands-on way to explore municipal infrastructure and public services.

7 complete Classroom Kits:

• Pulley Systems

  Students investigate simple machines, force and mechanical advantage by designing and constructing a working pulley system. Their challenge is to develop a lifting mechanism capable of moving a load efficiently, then test how different configurations affect effort and performance. Estimated instructional time: 2–3 hours.

• Solar Energy

  Students turn sunlight into usable energy as they investigate photovoltaic technology, circuitry, energy conversion, power output and design efficiency. Teams design and test solar-powered systems and evaluate their performance while exploring renewable-energy solutions for a growing community. Estimated instructional time: 2 hours.

• Hydraulic Lift

  How do machines lift enormous loads? Students find out by building one. Students explore hydraulics and pneumatics while designing a functional lift capable of raising and lowering objects. The project introduces fluid pressure, mechanical advantage and system design through a construction-industry challenge. Estimated instructional time: 2–3 hours.

• HVAC Systems

  Students step into the roles of HVAC engineers and technicians to design a functioning air-conditioning and ductwork system. Along the way, they investigate thermal energy transfer, airflow, insulation and sustainable building systems—and discover the engineering hidden inside buildings they use every day. Estimated instructional time: 2–4 hours.

• Architecture

  Students explore how ideas become structures as they work through an architecture and design challenge. The project brings together design thinking, measurement, spatial reasoning, planning and construction concepts while introducing students to careers connected to the built environment.

• Water Systems

  Students become infrastructure engineers charged with delivering water from a central tower to multiple homes. They'll investigate fluid dynamics, gravity-fed flow, pressure and systems design while building, testing and refining a functioning water-delivery network. STIIX connects the project to water engineering, commercial plumbing and project management. Estimated instructional time: 2–3 hours.

• Drone First Flight

  Students enter one of today's fastest-growing technology sectors by building a drone and connecting engineering, electronics and aviation with real-world drone operations. It provides a powerful capstone to a bundle designed to show students that today's technical careers increasingly combine hands-on skills with advanced technology.

Students apply the Engineering Design Process while exploring mechanical advantage, force, energy conversion, renewable energy, circuitry, fluid pressure, hydraulics, thermal energy, airflow, water distribution, infrastructure and technology systems. Just as importantly, they practice problem-solving, collaboration, testing, data analysis, troubleshooting, iteration and technical decision-making.

The result is something educators increasingly need: a bridge between STEM education and career awareness.

Students encounter the kinds of problems faced by engineers, technicians and skilled professionals working in:

Construction • Renewable Energy • HVAC • Architecture • Water Infrastructure • Engineering • Utilities • Manufacturing • Drone Technology

STIIX also connects projects to the National Career Clusters Framework; for example, its Wind Turbine curriculum identifies STEM, Energy, Agriculture/Food/Natural Resources and Manufacturing connections and explicitly incorporates employability skills such as collaboration and resilience.

Projects in this bundle support NGSS Engineering Design, Physical Science and Energy standards, along with TEKS Scientific & Engineering Practices. Water Systems additionally identifies Iowa mathematics standards and CTE/TEKS connections, including design-solution evaluation. Hydraulics, Pulley, HVAC and Solar Energy identify overlapping NGSS standards in engineering design, forces, motion and energy.