A new initiative to encourage student STEM Skills at schools across the country is taking place and it’s being achieved by Making It Fun. Find out how Allegra Spencer from the ABCN and the NBN is getting behind this clever idea.
With the new NBN Co STEM+X initiative, that’s the plan and since the initiative launched earlier in the year, eight lucky schools in Australia have enjoyed the experience of a virtual link from the classroom to science and tech experts.
The task the students are given is to work with the experts to help brighten the school community’s future by attempting to solve real life challenges.
Run in collaboration with the Australian Business Community Network (ABCN), the initiative was developed to get students excited about the possibilities of learning Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills by combining it with their hobbies and passions.
The participating students video conferenced into NBN Co headquarters in Sydney and presented their ideas during an online ‘Futurist’s Fair’ to a judging panel which included Kathrine Dyer, Chief Network Deployment Officer at NBN Co; Allegra Spender, Chief Executive Officer at ABCN; and Scott Gaunson and Brett Stanford from the YouTube channel How Ridiculous.
Kathrine Dyer, Chief Network Deployment Officer at NBN Co said: “I was excited to see what the students came up with today at the Futurists’ Fair and they should all be commended for their hard work on the initiative. The students are really in tune with the issues facing their communities and it’s great to see their passion in tackling them.”
The participating schools in the STEM+X initiative are:
· Para Hills Primary School, Adelaide, SA
· Canadian Lead Primary School, Ballarat, VIC
· Islington Public School, Newcastle, NSW
· Glenorchy Primary School, Hobart, TAS
· Leanyer Primary, Darwin, NT
· Invermay Primary School, Launceston, TAS
· Townsville Central State School, Townsville, QLD
· Beaconsfield Primary School, Perth, WA