A student monitors temperature as part of a test of the insulating properties of different materials. This activity is part of a green energy engineering challenge where students design and test a solar oven.

By 2018, 8 million STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs will be available in the United States, but the vast majority of students in this country will be unprepared to fill them. As we recently honored National Engineers Week, we also reflected on how far engineering education has come and what more needs to be done.

As leaders and STEM advocates at Boston's Museum of Science, 100Kin10 and Teach For America, we are committed to collaborating to help students and teachers succeed and ensure they are prepared for careers and opportunities in the future. The long-term viability and strength of our nation is dependent upon the success of our students and the innovative mindsets they possess.

We believe the best way to prepare children for success is to introduce them to the engineering design skills that will give them experience solving problems. Engineering is the missing link, making math and science relevant and sparking a process that can lead to innovation. Identifying a problem, designing a solution, testing, and improving a design involve learning communication skills, history and social studies. Hands-on engineering activities can also make learning accessible for all students.

According to a recent survey, an overwhelming number of parents were excited to encourage their children to pursue careers in STEM, and specifically in engineering. However, an astounding 87 percent would be concerned if their children pursued a career as a STEM teacher. As a nation we need great STEM teachers in order to prepare the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers. Enthusiastic, prepared teachers are essential to sparking student interest in STEM, and one of the most significant challenges facing our field is the large discrepancy between the national and global demand for engineers and the limited availability of teachers to prepare that workforce.

We must start this process early. The focus on the "E" in STEM begins with our youngest learners. Early childhood education teachers can help create positive experiences in the classroom and make connections to home with engineering practices and the language that surrounds them, so that "engineering" is natural and exciting for kids at an early age. In 2004, the Museum of Science, Boston, created the National Center for Technological Literacy to advance engineering in schools and museums nationwide and piloted Engineering is Elementary, a curriculum that makes engineering fun and attainable for kids in elementary school. Today, NCTL curricula have reached an estimated 113,800 teachers and 10.2 million students nationwide. The curriculum integrates engineering and technology with science, language arts, social studies, and math via lesson plans, hands-on activities, and storybooks with children from different cultures who use engineering to solve problems.