Australia 
Brazil 
Canada 
Chile 
China 
Columbia 
Denmark 
France 
India 
Indonesia 
Ireland 
Italy 
Malaysia 
New Zealand 
Norway 
Panama 
Peru 
Poland 
Portugal 
Saudi Arabia 
Singapore 
South Korea 
Spain 
Sweden 
Taiwan 
Thailand 
United Kingdom 
United States 
Vietnam 
Faced with the two speakers of the day, the twenty or so 9-year-olds in this class in the Paris region kept raising their hands to ask questions. They wanted to understand everything about the way in which a tramway is constructed. A task for our two SYSTRA employees, who took on the role of schoolteachers for the duration of the event. Their assignment? To explain our activity in simple terms to young people. To do this, they used an original, interactive game adapted for children: Engineering 4 Kids.
The result of 12 months’ collaborative work by a team comprising project engineers, team managers, a digital education expert and volunteers to translate the game into different languages, this interactive game is based on the observation that we use public transport every day, but that little is known about our professions!
Using fun, easy-to-understand examples and a real-life mobility issue, the game is designed to share a passion for engineering with children aged 5 and over. The illustrations, created by a cartoonist, are adapted to the world of the children, who can identify with the characters. The icing on the cake is that they receive a diploma at the end of the session, which fills them with pride.
I thought it was so cool. Tramy was fun but my favourite character was Nat, because she had to find the best way to drive the tram through the city, and it was often the most environmentally friendly way! I also loved wearing a real helmet, just like on a real building site! I don’t know if I’m going to do this later on, but I’ll think about it.
Valentine, aged 9
Hosted by SYSTRA employees, this activity lasts about an hour and depicts the life of an engineering project, in a playful graphic environment where pupils can identify with the characters. For example, children learn about the different stages of an infrastructure project, transport systems, decarbonisation through electricity supply, pricing through ticketing, safety and reliability through flow management and the digitalisation of networks.
Engineering is all around us but is rarely explained to children. The aim of Engineering 4 Kids is to present in a fun and unique way what these professions have to offer, and how much they count in our everyday lives. By putting themselves in the shoes of an engineer, pupils can discover how they too can transform the world.
William Blondel, the project’s inventor at SYSTRA
Engineering 4 Kids is multilingual, with modules available in 6 languages including French, English, Spanish, Polish and Portuguese.
It has already been deployed in 25 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, India and Rwanda, raising awareness among 2,000 children.
In France, the game was presented to teachers at an Orientation 2024 meeting, while in Brazil, a session was included in the Children’s Day programme for SYSTRA employees.
As experts in everyday public transport, we often take it for granted that we can enjoy safe and efficient mobility. But travellers often have no idea how complex transport systems can be. By explaining the behind-the-scenes aspects of our projects to children, we hope to encourage them to become engineers and, at the very least, ensure that they have a different perspective the next time they board a metro, tram or train.
Marc Seffacene, Project Director, Electric Express Train, SYSTRA Egypt
In the light of its success, wew versions and new sessions are planned, notably in Canada. It’s a safe bet that Engineering 4 Kids will inspire many new careers in sustainable mobility, an essential subject if ever there was one. Stay tuned!