250 Geraldton high school students to show off STEM smarts in science and engineering challenge

The Mid West Science and Engineering Challenge is bringing 250 of Geraldton’s brightest young minds together this Friday. The challenge, hosted at Geraldton Christian College, involves Year 9 and 10 students from GCC, Champion Bay Senior High School, Geraldton Senior High School, Geraldton Grammar and Nagle Catholic College. GCC principal Sophia De Lange said the students were extremely capable thanks to the college’s “strong STEM program, which begins in primary school where we have a specialist teacher delivering a STEM curriculum. This continues in secondary school”. The challenge was designed as an initiative from the University of Newcastle, which aims to expose students to a range of activities that aid them in having positive experiences with science and engineering. The challenges simulate careers as civil engineers, architects, geologists and geophysicists, computer scientists, software designers and aerospace engineers. Competing Year 10 student Larishia-Ann Lotter, from GCC, said STEM subjects were helpful at this stage as “there are so many things I want to do after school, it changes every day”. The challenge will help her narrow things down. “One day I want to be a journalist, the next day I want to be a fisherman, then a psychologist,” she said. On the day, students will be showcasing their creativity and teamwork by building bridges, creating codes with coloured lights and constructing earthquake-proof towers. “In the past decade, most of our upper secondary students have chosen to study mathematics, science and technology subjects. STEM has been a highly popular pathway for our students,” Mrs De Lange said. It’s the school’s sixth time participating in the event, but the first time hosting the 256 high school students and 52 staff and volunteers on their own campus. GCC science teacher Keith Roffman said: “The most important part is that the kids get to work together and show off their team work.” The National Skills Commission has forecast that employment in STEM occupations in Australia will grow by 12.9 per cent by 2025, compared to average job growth of 7.8 per cent. Each school team is divided into eight groups of two to four students each. Students are awarded points for each activity and the school with the most cumulative points at the end of the day is declared the winner. The highest scoring winning schools from each region will compete against each other for a place in the State final and if this is won, the national final.