STUDENT leaders from Glenburnie Primary School and Allendale East Area School attended the first of a series of state-wide science workshops last week.
Science outreach program SciWorld has partnered with the Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) to deliver the one day workshops.
SciWorld managing director Brian Haddy said the workshops followed a science camp in Adelaide, attended by 80 students from 40 schools across the state.
“Those kids who attended the camp in Mylor in the Adelaide Hills have now recruited other students within their schools to become STEM ambassadors,” Mr Haddy said.
“This workshop here in Mount Gambier is the first in a three year state-wide program – we hope this program leads to students and teachers working together to help design science lessons in the classrooms.
“The DECD have found this way of learning, where students are more engaged in designing their own curriculum, is more effective than a teacher standing up the front and talking at them.”
DECD project officer for STEM professional learning Erin Matthews said a three-year pilot study had produced significant results.
“Our work at the moment is focusing on how we position students alongside teachers and leaders to partner in learning improvement – students and teachers working shoulder to shoulder,” she said.
“We completed a three year pilot study putting kids in the drivers seat and that produced really significant results in terms of learning engagement and achievement which is really fantastic.
“We know it works, so now we are focused on the STEM curriculum and approaching that with students alongside us, allowing students to improve teaching and learning and drive change.”
Glenburnie Primary School student Jasmine Grassi said a highlight during the workshop was brainstorming ideas to improve the Blue Lake city.
“It was good completing a feedback survey for council on local issues,” she said.
“We got to brainstorm what we liked and disliked and ideas for the town.”
The 10 local STEM ambassadors will help coordinate activities for a science day at their respective schools.
