ETERC Introduces Ele, an AI Mentor Designed to Scale High Quality, Personalized Engineering Learning to Underserved Public Schools

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- How can public schools give students individualized guidance without replacing teachers?

At the National Society for the Study of Education Research Review Seminar at East China Normal University, the Shanghai Modern Engineering and Technology Education Development Research Center (ETERC) presented Ele, an AI Mentor designed specifically for engineering learning, as part of its research into engineering thinking and identity.

Engineering education presents challenges for public schools and underserved communities. One teacher may be responsible for dozens of students, making individualized guidance difficult. In rural communities, the challenge can be even greater, as schools may have limited access to teachers with expertise in aerospace, robotics and advanced engineering. Developing this expertise can take months or years, leaving students with fewer opportunities to explore advanced engineering topics.

Ele was developed to address this challenge. Ele draws on more than 12 years of ETERC experience in STEM teacher training and curriculum development, more than 5,000 hours of high-quality teaching recordings and thousands of lesson plans created by educators, industry experts and researchers. Its design helps students work through problems, make their own decisions and learn from the process rather than receive answers.

Ele has already been used in classroom settings for months, allowing ETERC to refine how an AI mentor supports students and teachers. Classroom experience has shown Ele's ability to provide differentiated guidance and help teachers identify where support may be needed.

"We are not trying to build another chatbot for schools," said Wan Jiawei, founder of ETERC. "We are building an AI mentor grounded in real teaching practice and engineering education research. Our goal is to make individualized guidance more accessible while preserving student judgment and the teacher's professional role."

The development of Ele is connected to two emerging research frameworks introduced by ETERC. Engineering Becoming Learning Science (EBLS) explores how engineering thinking develops through authentic problem solving and engineering experiences. Engineering Becoming Theory (EBT) examines how students develop an engineering identity and begin to see themselves as capable of engaging in engineering. Both remain emerging research propositions that ETERC will continue to test through classroom use and research.

About ETERC

As a nonprofit organization dedicated to educational equity, with more than 12 years of experience in STEM teacher training, curriculum development and engineering education, ETERC partners with global enterprises to design and deliver social responsibility initiatives. Companies can support these efforts by sponsoring Ele deployments in underserved schools, co-developing engineering learning content, bringing real world industry problems and expertise into classrooms, supporting teacher training, and measuring and reporting educational outcomes and impact.

ETERC welcomes partnerships with companies in technology, AI, semiconductors, aerospace, robotics, advanced manufacturing, energy and mobility, as well as corporate foundations and ESG and CSR teams. Together, partners can help bridge the digital divide and expand access to STEM education for students in underserved communities.

To explore partnership opportunities, please contact [email protected] or visit eterc.cn.

SOURCE ETERC