Inspiring Young Engineers at Centennial Elementary

Centennial fourth and fifth graders had a special visitor: Emma Jackson, a recent Northwestern University graduate and a manufacturing and design engineer, who shared her career journey and her development of a safe and inclusive bike helmet. 

During the presentation, Emma explained the many types of engineers, from mechanical to biomedical, aerospace and chemical. She also introduced the Engineering Design Process, a series of steps engineers use to solve problems:

1. Identify the problem
2. Brainstorm
3. Design
4. Build, test, redesign
5. Share!

While in college, Emma biked frequently to class but struggled to find a helmet that worked for thick, curly hair. “I would try to wear a helmet, but if I had a nice presentation or freshly styled hair, I didn’t want to frizz up the curls,” she said. Her class partner, Gass, faced similar issues and had even given up after trying four helmets and having none of them fit. After he suffered a scooter accident that left him with stitches and permanent scar on his head, they teamed up with a few other classmates and decided to tackle this problem as their senior capstone project.

While researching for their project, Emma and Gass discovered more than 40 students at their school with similar hair who had the same problem: standard-issue helmets were not designed for individuals with afro and voluminous hairstyles. “This realization drove us to develop a solution that not only addresses safety concerns but also promotes inclusivity and equity in the biking community,” Emma explained.

One of the fourth-grade students asked a great question: “How many times did it take you to make your helmet?” Emma shared that they had created over 150 prototypes and that they were still working on the final product. 

Another fourth grader wondered out loud if the helmets were going to be available for them before they are adults. Emma said that she hopes to have an adult product released in the next few years, followed by the testing and creation of a youth helmet. 

This helmet doesn’t sacrifice safety, either. While completing their capstone project, the team visited Virginia Tech’s world-renowned helmet testing lab, where their helmet prototype performed better than a 5-star helmet, the lab’s highest-rated helmet for reducing the risk of concussion.

Tim Brackett, the Safe Routes to School Coordinator at Richfield Public Schools, has seen the problem firsthand when working with students of all ages. “It’s a real challenge to find helmets that fit every student well,” he said. “Having an option designed with equity in mind would be a game-changer.” 

“My parents are my biggest supporters,” shared Emma. “They thought it would be great for young students to hear about what it could be like to be an engineer.” Emma’s parents are both staff members at Centennial Elementary; her mom teaches second grade and her dad is a paraprofessional. 

“When I was growing up, I didn’t understand what being an engineer meant. It felt like something only really smart people could do,” Emma said. “By the end of high school, I realized my skills aligned with engineering, and in college, I realized it was my dream.”

Students were captivated by Emma’s presentation. When she asked them if anyone was interested in becoming an engineer, hands shot up throughout the room and the students started talking excitedly about what kind of things they would want to work on as an engineer.

You can learn more about Emma’s CALYX Expand Bike Helmet on their website. It was also featured in Northwestern Magazine’s innovation section.