Previous program highlights
Chevalier College - UNSW Science Extension Summer School 2024
Five students from Chevalier College attended the UNSW Sydney Science Extension Summer School (SciX) program. The students studied Bio-Chem, Astrophysics and Quantum Computing and conducted first-hand investigations. The students loved the exposure to university life and the opportunities available in scientific research and returned with renewed motivation to pursue careers in STEM.
“The program offered a perfect blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, covering cutting-edge topics in science and technology. The mentors were graduate research students who used their knowledge and experience to guide the students ultimately extending their scientific and research skills.”
Willyama High School - Ecology in Action 2024
Students delved into the rich tapestry of Indigenous cultural and European heritage sites while engaging in insightful discussions about the ecological factors shaping Calperum Station. They immersed themselves in the scientific method, gaining a deep understanding of hypothesis testing and experimental design under the guidance of experts. Field activities offered unique opportunities to explore the environment, from wetland canoe trips along the River Murray to gecko board surveys.
One of the most captivating aspects of our school excursion to Calperum Station was the immersive experience students gained in the scientific method. Guided by Calperum ecologists, students dived into hypothesis testing and experimental design, honing their critical thinking skills while exploring real-world applications. The excursion offered a hands-on approach to learning, with field activities such as wetland canoe trips and gecko board surveys providing unforgettable experiences. Through these activities, students gain firsthand knowledge about the intricacies of habitat assessment and environmental monitoring.
Bomaderry High School - The OrbiSpace Initiative 2024
Students were asked to design an idea to promote the use of electronic transportation in a Pitch for the Planet Program. Highlights included working with women in STEM to discuss careers in STEM and pathways to get there. Students had the opportunity for mentoring with industry partners and teacher mentors gained information about STEM careers for women. Student feedback included that "Speaking with female engineers made me think that I can be an engineer as well".
Embers Robotics - FIRST Robotics Competition Regional 2024
The Embers Robotics team 7583 was represented at the FIRST Robotics Competition in Windsor by 17 students from diverse backgrounds who attend several high schools across the Wollongong area. Students participated in the event along with teams and industry professionals from across Australia and Asia. This FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) event is an important milestone to encourage students to get actively involved in STEM by building, programming and driving a 25kg robot to conquer challenges on a large playing field.
Team 7583 Embers was awarded the prestigious Woodie Flowers award – an honour which celebrates powerful communication skills and the effectiveness of inspiring young people in the art and science of engineering and design. To receive this award Embers 7583 students submitted an essay nominating a mentor that demonstrates the values and qualities of the legacy of Woodie Flowers to receive this award.
McCarthy Catholic College, Tamworth – SciX @ UNSW Sydney 2024
Within the facilities of UNSW, current PhD candidates mentored us in the development of our own research projects. The experience included theory work as well as laboratory work and first hand investigations following rigorous research protocols.
“Not only were we able to perform research with the full support of our mentors, the activity also offered sessions where we were able to talk to Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM) experts in their fields as well as current undergraduate students and PhD candidates. These sessions broadened my perspective on the versatility of the applications of Science, strengthening my interest and reaffirm my career goals.
Thanks to the support provided by this grant, I was able to experience this inspiring but rare opportunity as a rural student. It allowed me to put HSC content and skills into context and opened my mind to the wide range of career opportunity associated with STEM.”
Great Lakes College Forster Campus - Lady Elliott Island Environment Excursion 2023
The field trip to Lady Elliot Island provided a plethora of activities with amazing wildlife including snorkelling with mantra rays, turtles and dolphins, along with the dense populations of fish and other marine life. Students had a once in a lifetime opportunity, which included seeing a loggerhead turtle laying eggs. The students joined educational sessions, including a behind the scenes tour of how the island operates under environmentally friendly conditions, such as solar power, desalination and recycling programs. This year included our first sighting of a Tiger Shark which was truly breathtaking and a memory many students will never forget.
Project Bucephalus Pty Ltd - Robotics World Championships USA 2024
8 Fields. 600 robots. 50,000 people. 1 game. This is the World Championships of the FIRST Robotics Competition! On each tennis-court-sized field, six 50kg robots play “Crescendo”, the 2024 FRC game. It requires skill, tactics, and machines that can take a beating. In teams of 3, robots work in unison to launch foam rings to score in 2m-high targets, scrambling to reload and overcome vigorous defence from their opponents – colliding robots bouncing off each other after highspeed impacts.
Amidst the activity, team members can be seen talking with adults – explaining complex CAD diagrams, showcasing extensive education programs, and performing high-level presentations to international panels of STEM professionals. These students may still be in high school, but they can change the world.
During the trip, students interacted with some of the best FRC teams in the world, formed deep friendships and explored future career options. This community team from Wollongong was named an Impact Award finalist and one of the top 6 teams in the world for STEM education, outreach, and positive community change.
Ulladulla High School - FIRST Robotics World Championships USA 2024
“The FIRST Robotics World Championships was an amazing opportunity to see other world-class teams and learn about their innovation project and the strategies that they use to succeed. I loved talking with other teams and making friends, even across other competition tiers. It was also amazing to look at all the other team's pits and the marketing material that we're giving out. I was able to bring this information to our team and we were able to create our own marketing materials to give at the upcoming international event. While at the World Championships I was able to network with industry professionals and learn more about the career possibilities in STEAM which inspired me to keep pursuing my dreams through robotics.”
Emu Robotics - FIRST Robotics Competition 2024
The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition is an annual event where high schoolers collaborate in teams to build capable robots that will face an onslaught of challenges presented by FIRST. This program is designed specifically for young innovators to aid them in harnessing their curiosity, expressing their ideas and opinions in a place that will be heard by their peers and teammates. EMU Robotics focused not only on winning the competition, but also on improving the team members’ self-confidence, collaboration and communication skills.
EMU Robotics' season highlight for 2024 was winning the Team Sustainability award at our regional competition. The judges believe that our team is both sustainable into the future and environmentally sustainable. This award recognised our team's consistent outreach within our local and international communities.
Embers Robotics Incorporated - Melbourne Robotics Tournament 2023
Embers Robotics attended the Melbourne Robotics Tournament thanks to the support of the Office of NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer. Embers Robotics team 7583 was represented by 17 students from several high schools across the Wollongong area and participated in the three-day event from 30 June to 2 July 2023 along with teams from Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. This FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) event was the only event in Victoria in 2023 and is an important milestone to encourage students to get actively involved in STEM by building, programming and driving a 25kg robot in alliances of three to conquer challenges on the large playing field.
‘Supporting students to participate in STEM through robotics is a life-changing experience. Travelling to interact and engage with real-world professionals, alongside students from other states develops teamwork, encourages resilience and builds leaders of the future. Embers Robotics is grateful for the support of Office of NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer’. Ms Natasha Debsieh. President, Embers Robotics.
1st Oyster Bay Scouts, First Lego League Challenge 2023
In the First Lego League challenge, a team of youths work together to design and build a robot to complete obstacle challenges. They prepared a presentation to explain their design and compete in a competition with other teams. They also design a solution to an innovation problem, including a prototype and a presentation. The robot is built using the Spike Prime Lego kit and programmed using Scratch. This program inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking, and design skills through hands- on learning.
‘The First Lego League Program has been so much fun for our Scouts. We have a dozen kids participating in the program. The Spike Prime application contains all the materials to walk the kids through how to program at their own pace, so it’s been easy to engage kids with different interests and experiences each week’. Adam Little. Funds Coordinator, 1st Oyster Bay Scouts.
Great Lakes College, Lady Elliot Environment Excursion 2022
At Great Lakes College, Marine Studies arrange excursions twice a year for Year 9/10 students to study and observe the abundance of marine life within the highly protected “Green Zone” and Coral Cay. It is an eco-tourism resort that has an amazing array of spectacular marine life, and it gives students a once in a lifetime experience. Activity highlights include seeing turtles in their natural habitat nesting and laying their eggs and taking a ride on a glass bottom boat.
‘Once in a lifetime experience for students snorkelling in a marine sanctuary’. Mr Scott Brown. Principal, Great Lakes College
St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill – (Joebots 9417 Team), First Robotics Competition 2023
The purpose of JOEBOTS 9147 participation in the Regional FRC First Robotics Competition was to work towards a flagship event for the newly formed Robotics and Co-curricular program at St Joseph's College. The FRC competition event was a three-day competition that involved teams from all over the Asia Pacific region, culminating in selection for the international event in Houston, Texas. Prior to the competition, there is a six-week ‘build season where members of the team received the challenge parameters and had to plan solutions for building the robot. The boys were supported by a very enthusiastic Cheer Squad who worked hard throughout the build season to promote, enthuse, and develop the team spirit amongst the group.
‘The competition was a great opportunity for our students to showcase their skills in STEM and soft skills such as collaboration, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving, all the while strengthening the ties these boys have as they fought to achieve a common goal’. Ms The van Os. Outreach Teacher for Joebots 9147 – Robotics Co-Curricular, St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill.
Narooma High School, FIRST Championship 2023
The Narooma High School 2023 RoboRebels team qualified to attend the World championship for the FIRST Robotics Competition held in Houston Texas. This was an incredible opportunity. It required a mammoth community effort to raise the necessary funds and permissions so the team could attend. Nine students from Years 12 and 10 attended the Competition. Students competed with over 600 teams, made up of more than 30,000 students from around the world in a 3-day robotics competition.
‘It was amazing to have the community supporting us throughout our journey to Houston. We had everyone backing us, from local families and businesses to our local member of parliament, Kristy McBain, and even the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. We will repay this debt by making the STEM field more accessible to local communities, allowing the future generations more of a choice in what they want to do in the future’. Kye Potter. Student, Narooma High School.
Project Bucephalus Robotics Team - FIRST Championship 2023
Attended by 700 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams from around the world, the FIRST World Championships were both a celebration of the achievements of each team and an elite-level competition. As an independent community team from Wollongong, Project Bucephalus performed with extreme reliability and flexibility, filling the gaps in gameplay and collaborating with the highest-level teams – forming long-term connections in the process.
In this 700-team competition, Project Bucephalus was named one of the six finalists for the Impact Award – the most prestigious award in the FIRST program. This honour makes the team as one of the top six teams in the world for STEM Education, outreach, and positive change in the community – and also earns the team a return visit to the Championships in 2024!
National Mathematics Summer School - Hurlstone Agricultural High School 2023
Students were exposed to exciting higher-level mathematics concepts, which are ordinarily reserved for university study and run in complete contrast to the relative monotony of high-school mathematics. The course gave students opportunities to put this learning to use with difficult problems which challenged their reasoning and creativity. More broadly students were given a taste of the experience of university level mathematical study. Further highlights - that were less related to the course itself - included hearing impassioned talks and lectures from NMSS lecturers and guests on mathematics, science, finance and careers; meeting likeminded people from across the country and making unique friendships; participating in the many student-run games and excursions held throughout the 2 weeks. Th Office of NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer supported a single Hurlstone Agricultural High School student to attend this activity.
Willyama High School - Biology Fieldwork Depth Study 2023
The aim was also for students to develop an appreciation and understanding of biological concepts that are used to explore the diversity of life, from a molecular to a biological systems level, and the interactions between living things and the environments in which they live. Broken Hill is an arid environment that is difficult to find locations that contain diverse flora and fauna for students to record and collect quality data in order to complete their investigations.
‘Calperum Station provides a fascinating backdrop to engage, train and inspire. The ecology on-country educational retreat is designed to develop student knowledge in areas including ecology, environment, conservation, landscape management and Indigenous culture. With a focus on hands-on activities that links in with the NSW Biology syllabus, students participated in exercises including water quality monitoring, pitfall trapping, mammal and reptile surveys and cultural activities’. Miss Ashleigh Forbes. Teacher, Willyama High School.
