More than 140 students from 7 local schools took part in the University of Newcastle’s Build Your Future Day in Orange on Monday 26th November.
Years 5 & 6 students used their science and engineering knowledge to win a series of challenges by building earthquake-proof towers, communicating through optical fibre, engineering water turbines, constructing bionic hands and more.
The aim of the Build Your Future Day is to enlighten students to the hands-on vocations of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and to challenge students to consider careers in this area.
Students from local Public Schools including Clergate, Orange East, Bletchington, Spring Hill, Glenroi Heights, Mullion Creek and Mumbil took part in the Challenge, with Mullion Creek Public School crowned as the champion School.
On completion of the activities, students, teachers and volunteers came together to watch the results of the bridge building challenge; the judges provided points to each school based on the load-carrying capacity (tested with dynamic loads). Following this, Matt Scott Department of Education STEM Projects Officer presented certificates to the participating schools and presented the certificate for the champion school to Mullion Creek Public School. Clergate Public School was close behind finishing in second place.
Regional Development Australia Central West helped to run the day as a part of its STEM Industry School Partnership Pilot Program which aims to provide students in Year 5 to 8 with age appropriate STEM skills and pathways to STEM jobs. The Rotary Club of Orange Daybreak supported the event by providing volunteers to supervise each of the eight activities. The day would not have been possible without the generous support of the volunteers.
In the last 4 months, the program has held over 10 workshops, challenges, excursions and incursions to enable students and teachers to experience STEM learnings in a real-life workplace.
At the end of the very successful day students were given a special wrist band with a QR Code attached to RDA Central West and Canobolas Academy of STEM Excellence’s ‘Drone Poster Competition’. A special contest open to Year 5 and 6 students from Canobolas Academy of STEM Excellence (CASE) Partner Primary Schools encouraging students to draw and design a drone to help make our lives or jobs easier, safer or better.
