Be an Engineer at home this summer!

The GSK Science in the Summer™ Be an Engineer program is offered virtually in the greater Philadelphia area. Through online videos and at-home experiments, children take on the roles of different engineers to solve real-world problems. Children then join virtual research team meetings with Franklin Institute scientists and educators to share their results. Be an Engineer is designed for children ages 7-13, and we invite your whole family to explore together at home! 

For families in the greater Philadelphia area, online lottery to receive a free kit of science materials is now closed. Please note that if you did not enter or were not selected in the lottery, all activity guides, materials lists, and videos are available on the Be an Engineer website, so you can still assemble your own materials and have fun being engineers at home!  

Virtual Program Details

The recommended sequence for participating in the Be an Engineer program is:  

  1. Watch short introductory videos. Visit our Be an Engineer page to watch short introductory videos that help your family set up an at-home lab space and learn about your engineering projects.  

  1. Do at-home experiments. Follow the activity guides to explore your engineering projects, using the science materials listed in the guide. Always follow the safety guidelines during all activities. Remember, if you were not selected in the lottery, many of the materials can be found at home. 

  1. Join a live research team meeting. After your family completes the at-home experiments, sign up to join one or more live research team meetings, hosted by scientists and educators from The Franklin Institute!  

Facebook Live: Ask an Engineer!

Scientists from The Franklin Institute will also host several Facebook Live conversations with guest engineers about their work and career paths as supplemental learning opportunities. No pre-registration is required. Simply click the link during the event time to hear from these scientists.  

Franklin Outside Wed, July 21 at 1 pm ET
Engineering for Good Coming soon
Night Skies @ Home  Thu, Aug 5 at 7:45 pm ET
Future of Health  Mon, Aug 9 at 3 pm ET

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How old does my child have to be to participate?

    While the program is designed for children ages 7-13, families with children of all ages are welcome to experience the program together at home. It is recommended that parents and caregivers supervise the use of science materials during Be an Engineer experiments.

  • What does my child do to participate in the virtual program?

    The Be an Engineer program consists of at-home activities where children take on the roles of four different engineers: environmental, electrical, biomedical, and structural engineers. All program resources are freely accessible on the Be an Engineer pages! Watch the videos, download the activity guides, gather materials, and start your engineering research safely at home! 

    Please note that if you are chosen to receive materials via the lottery, your kit will contain materials for the environmental and electrical engineers. Materials for the biomedical and structural engineers may be gathered for additional exploration! 

  • When is the program happening?

    The online resources are freely available on our website. Select the Be an Engineer activities you would like to do at home, gather the materials, and enjoy at your own pace! 

    Please note that if you are chosen to receive materials via the lottery, your kit will contain materials for the environmental and electrical engineers. Materials for the biomedical and structural engineers may be gathered for additional exploration! 

  • Where do I find the materials needed for each activity?

    Materials are listed in each downloadable activity guide and on the webpage of each activity: Electrical, Environmental, Biomedical, and Structural. All the guides contain links to options for purchasing the items but you may already have many of the materials at home! 

     

    Please note that if you are chosen to receive materials via the lottery, your kit will contain materials for the environmental and electrical engineers. Materials for the biomedical and structural engineers may be gathered for additional exploration!