The Girls in STEM program is centred around “you can’t be what you can’t see” and provides young women with access to mentors, experiences and skill development in a focused and supported environment for two days per term across the year. 

Utililising the Design Thinking model, the program is linked to local industry and presents students with opportunities to engage with: 

The Peter Doherty Science Award was established in 2009 as a joint initiative of the Committee for Ballarat and Australian Nobel Prize laureate Professor Peter Doherty. 

Open to students in Year 7 to Year 10 in the Ballarat Region, the annual award encourages: 

First showcased by Epic Games in 1998, Unreal Engine has become the “world’s most successful videogame engine”. Apart from creating blockbuster games like Fortnite, it is now also used as a 3D graphic design platform in other industries for the development of immersive content, including VR and high production entertainment such as the TV series “The Mandalorian”. 

3D Modelling (the process of using advanced software to generate detailed 3D models) is having an ever increasing impact on our lives. Engineers, Architects, Filmmakers, Game Designers, Healthcare Workers, Scientists and Industrial Manufacturers are but a few of the professionals using 3D modelling to increase the speed and accuracy of their work, reduce costly design errors and visualise new innovations. 

The personal computer is perhaps the most common and essential tool of almost any home or workplace in today’s society. We design, communicate and play on them daily, but how many of us actually understand how they work? Could your house, classroom or business survive without one? 

As the global population and demand for food continues to grow and sustainability of our ecosystems and lifestyles remain the hottest of topics, our agriculture and horticulture industries must continue to evolve and innovate. 

Understanding our soils and how to maximise them for production without depleting them as a resource, is critical to the future of these industries. In this program students will develop and apply that understanding in a hands-on way. 

Rapid prototyping is a critical innovation skill in many of today’s industries where businesses need to pivot quickly to design or improve products. In this exciting extension of Laser Cutting with Cardboard, students will continue to refine and develop their skills and understanding of the prototyping process. 

The combination of Australian Bushfoods and Chocolate represents an enticing entry into the realm of unique flavors and innovative product development. 

This program introduces students to the processes behind product development, innovation and packaging, while simultaneously celebrating Australia’s thousands of years of rich culinary heritage. 

Search and retrieval operations are one of the many industry applications for ground and aerial robotics. Similar processes are used in different environments, from commercial warehouse stocking and delivery packing, to search and rescue in hazardous terrain. 

In this one day program, students work in pairs to assemble their VEX IQ robot and explore sensors to replicate a known real world example (e.g. robotic vacuum). As the day develops, increasingly complex programming is introduced so students can devise and execute their own search and retrieval mission. 

Humanoid robots have yet to take over the world as many have predicted (in both fiction and nonfiction), but they are becoming more prevalent in certain industries and offer unique solutions in many areas. 

Working in pairs, students will learn to program a NAO robot to speak and listen, constructing branching conversations and building an understanding of how to shape interactions between robots and humans.