Green Gravity’s Tania Jones gives students a taste of what’s to come at the program’s launch. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
Specially selected students from Illawarra primary schools will experience the pathways and progressions of pursuing a career in STEM, with a new program launched to expose children to industry opportunities early in their education.
Twenty Year 6 students will be empowered to see where a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics could take them as part of a new, year-long initiative launched by the Illawarra Academy of STEM Excellence (IASE).
“Where it first started off was the thought process of looking at the research and the evidence about creating the conversations with students about future career pathways early and inspiring, engaging and immersing these students in STEM-enabled pathways that align with the Illawarra,” IASE STEM project manager Russ Taunton said.
The program, called Future Makers, will see selected students from Bellambi Public School, Corrimal Public School, Corrimal East Public School, Tarrawanna Public School and Towradgi Public School connect with industry leaders at organisations such as BlueScope and Green Gravity and see how they could follow in their footsteps with help from Corrimal High mentors.
“It’s building that vertical pathways for students from primary school, to secondary school, and then we bring in the tertiary education, the cadets and the mentors from UOW but also the TAFE and apprenticeship side of things; it really keeps that career and alignment pathway,” Russ said.
“Because everyone has their own plan going forward and it’s about giving them opportunities, not locking them into things.”
The four students from each school form the inaugural class for the program, with many already having thrived in STEM in a short time.
“My most vivid memory of STEM is that when I was in kindy I actually won a science medal,” Towradgi Public School’s Saxon Maguire said.
“I like building stuff, I like solving problems for the world,” Corrimal Primary School’s Milena Raja said. “I thought this would be a really good opportunity so I said yes.”
Each student brings different interests to the program which could be further explored by the practical, hands-on experiences they are set to participate in and through collaborative projects and ideas with their peers.
“I like creating things, like designing houses, skirts, clothes,” Tarrawanna Public School’s Aria Wolf said. “This might help me with my idea of a future job designing a house.”
“I really like STEM and how you create and I want to be a scientists when I’m older,” fellow Tarrawanna student Chisa Henderson said.
“I want to help make things to make the world a better place.”
While the development of design projects and learning opportunities will help give them real-world skills, Russ hoped that it also instilled an attitude of persistence and passion to improve.
“The belief in themselves that it’s OK to make mistakes, that the first time is not always going to be the best and the right way; it’s about that continual iteration of their concepts and where they’re going,” he said.
The collaboration between local industry, UOW, TAFE and teaching teams from Corrimal’s Community of Schools makes this specific iteration of the initiative unique to the Illawarra, but it’s hoped that proven success could see it nationwide.
“I’d love this to just be part of a culture of a community of schools, being up to pick this model up and scale it and put it somewhere else,” Russ said.
“I could take it to Perth and could put it in a community of schools over there that have supports from industry sectors.
“It’s about making it achievable and making it easily accessible for schools and teachers to deliver to students.”
