The fields of gifted and engineering education share many common interests, and their students share many common attributes. Infusing and making engineering implicit in the K-6 education programs creates opportunities to develop concepts, skills, and habits of the mind that are valuable in all disciplines while providing opportunities to discover and develop talent in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. SummaryEngineering, the E in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), should be integrated in the elementary classroom as a way to discover and develop talents in STEM. The various perspectives of engineering-concepts, skills, and career choices-are a natural fit for many gifted students. Evidence of fit is clear in the side-by-side comparison of the similarities of attributes of engineers and gifted students. Several engineering concepts are already incorporated within the K-6 curriculum but need to be recognized and discussed as engineering. Talent in engineeringrelated fields is more than strength in mathematics and science; communications, literacy, teamwork, and leadership talents are also critical to the success of engineering design projects. To increase engineering presence in the classroom, there are many organizations that provide curriculum resources that portray engineering concepts.

is a 2009 NSF Graduate Research Fellow and will graduate this summer with her Ph.D. in engineering education and a secondary doctoral focus in gifted and talented education from Purdue University. Strutz's research interests include stEm talent development and identification. Prior to completing her master's degrees in gifted and talented education and in curriculum and instruction, Strutz worked as an engineer for 13 years in Laser Jet Printer product development and marketing at Hewlett Packard Co., computer systems design at Arthur Andersen & Co., sulfuric acid plant engineering at Monsanto, and traffic engineering in the City of Cincinnati. Her positions in the high-tech field stemmed from her undergraduate degrees in civil engineering and mathematics from Vanderbilt University. Contact

is the first NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2009) in Engineering Education. She is an Engineering Education doctoral student, with a secondary doctoral focus in Gifted and Talented Education, at Purdue University. Michele's research interests include stEm talent development and identification. Prior to completing her Master's Degrees in Gifted and Talented Education and in Curriculum and Instruction, Michele worked as an engineer for 13 years in Laser Jet Printer product development and marketing at Hewlett Packard Co., computer systems design at Arthur Andersen & Co., sulfuric acid plant engineering at Monsanto, and traffic engineering with the City of Cincinnati. Her positions in the hightech field stemmed from her undergraduate degrees in Civil Engineering and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. Contact information:

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is a doctoral student in educational psychology in Gifted and Talented Education with a specialization in Engineering Education at Purdue University. Michele completed Masters Degrees in both Gifted and Talented Education and in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to her studies in Education, Michele worked in Marketing at Hewlett Packard, in Computer Systems Design at Arthur Andersen, and in Engineering Sulfuric Acid Plants at Monsanto. Her years of work in the high-tech field stemmed from her undergraduate degrees in Civil Engineering and Mathematics. Michele's research interests include stEm talent identification.