Year 7 and 8
This year, four classes from each year level will complete a term of STEM during WOW. Both classes are working with the Design Thinking Process. Design Thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. It is widely used in the STEM field and involves five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. Year 7 students are using the process to design and improve a bridge and tower whilst year 8 students are using the process to redesign a lunch box. We look forward to seeing students' unique ideas as they expand their STEM skills.
Year 9 STEM Elective
In addition to the year 7 and 8 STEM classes being run during WOW, this year we have introduced a second STEM Elective class that runs as three lessons a week. The year 9 class is currently learning how to design using Autodesk Inventor which will be used to design cars for the Townsville regional F1 in Schools competition at the end of term 2. F1 in Schools is a global multi-disciplinary STEM Competition where students utilise CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature compressed air powered cars made from specialised F1 model blocks.
Year 10 STEM Elective
The year 9 STEM Elective class continues into a second year of specialist STEM education in year 10. Term one is a Science and Engineering challenge as students employ their Design Thinking, SCAMPER and prototyping skills to design, test and iterate a bridge using balsa wood. They will test their designs for the ability to support as much mass as possible whilst being constructed using the least mass possible in line with sustainable Engineering practices.
Sisters in STEM (SiSTEM)
In week 3, 23 female students from grades 7 to 11 met to continue our work on improving female engagement with STEM. In 2021, only 37% of enrolments in STEM courses at Australian Universities were women. Although women made up over half of enrolments in agriculture, environmental, natural and physical sciences, they remained underrepresented in enrolments for engineering and IT. In 2022, women only made up 27% of the workforce across all STEM industries, a 1 percentage point drop from 2020 (https://www.industry.gov.au/news/state-stem-gender-equity-2022). We look forward to continuing to work with our students to provide opportunities to help address the STEM gender imbalance.