Abstract: In her article Schemeleva discusses historical grounds for additional engineering education of children and demonstrates how these programs are popular and important today from the point of view of the economic development of the Russian Federation. She also describes the experience of implementing the netork educational project 'Engineering' conducted by the Center for Additional Education 'Erudite' and branch of the Southern Federal University in the resort city Gelendzhik of the Krasnodar Region. Schemeleva views the system of additional education of children as a special cluster of the educational system that can tie together career guidance and further vocational education. Schemeleva describes the grounds for successful implementation of the aforesaid project as a thre-in-one factor that combines pedagogical experience of the university teaching staff, experience of additional education teachers in working with gifted children, and innovative approaches of the student youth who act as mentors. The researcher demonstrates how the list of additional technical education programs implemented as part of the network educational project 'Engineering' relates to the priority areas of research and technological development in the Russian Federation. At the end of her article Schemeleva underlines that as a result of this project, a university applicant should receive pre-university primary training in progressive technical areas in addition to his or her orientation at technical studies.