Last Friday, as part of National Science Week, we held a fun-filled celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for girls, women and non-binary people in our local community. Kindly sponsored by the Royal Society of Victoria and Inspiring Australia Victoria, we were able to invite organisations, She Maps, DATTA Vic and Melbourne Arboretum, to join us for the day.
Firstly, we had students and teachers from our partner schools take part in a range of interactive STEAM activities – from designing and laser cutting their own jewellery, making their own bees wax eco-wrappers, coding wearable technology, designing the site of the new exciting environmental Melbourne Arboretum project, and flying drones as geospatial scientists. The young people had a fantastic time, with those who would say they are interested in STEM increasing from half of the students before the event to nearly 90% after the event.
In the afternoon, we opened our doors to all women and non-binary people in our local community with the same great activities engaging the very young to the very old. People were able to make things to take home with them, explore the technology we have on offer at the tech school as well as chat to local organisations showcasing what they do in STEM.
The day was led by our STEM Communication Officer, Vhairi, and captured by our talented videographer, Glenn Dixon, so be sure to check out our YouTube channel soon. We had an absolute blast!
“This is #ScienceWeek at its best – inclusive, fun, creative, and educational” – Dr Renee Beale, Royal Society of Victoria