Marana preschool prepares future engineers with hands-on learning

MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — With a growing demand for engineers in the United States, an early education center in Marana is working to address the skills gap by starting young. The Learning Experience preschool has introduced the Little Engineers program, a 17-week curriculum designed to build a foundation in STEM skills for children as young as six weeks old.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that around 186,000 engineering jobs will open by 2030, with one-third of engineering positions currently going unfilled each year. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education found that just 22% of high school graduates are proficient in science.

In response, the Little Engineers program provides children with early exposure to problem-solving, teamwork, and basic engineering principles.

“It’s very important to get our students started early so they can develop all these skills,” said Amy Moffit, Center Director at The Learning Experience. “When they go to that elementary setting, they’re already going to be prepared.”

The program incorporates interactive characters like Techni Cal and Cody to help children connect with academic disciplines in a fun and engaging way. The goal is to make learning accessible and relatable while fostering creativity and curiosity.

“There’s not a lot of activity out in the world where they are using their hands because everyone’s in front of a screen all day,” explained Assistant Director Gabby Sievers. “So they’re not really working with their hands in the sense of, ‘Let me grab that tool, let me grab this screw and see what happens when I put two and two together.’”

Teamwork is another key focus of the program. Children collaborate on projects, helping them develop critical communication and social-emotional skills.

“They’re going to be working together, they’ll be able to solve problems together as a team,” Moffit added. “It gives them that confidence to know, ‘Hey, I’ve worked with peers before and we know how to communicate with each other.’”

Sievers also emphasized the importance of learning perseverance from an early age.

“Yes, they will fail, but you want to teach them those coaching moments,” she said. “You’re going to fail, but you get up and try again. As they get older, they’ll be successful with, ‘Okay, you know what, I failed at this, but I can fix it.’”

Registration for the summer session of the Little Engineers program is now open, with classes beginning in June. For more information, visit the Learning Experience website.

You can also sample the Learning Experience curriculum with the Bubbles and Friends app.