A national program to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Australian schools was launched by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in 350 classrooms last Friday (10 August).
The initiative kicked off CSIRO’s contribution to National Science Week.
Astrophysicist at CSIRO, Karen Lee-Waddell said the event was aimed at bringing STEM subjects into the classroom in an effort to increase student engagement and participation in them.
Dr Lee-Waddell said that as part of the CSIRO-led STEM in Schools event, approximately 90 STEM professionals from organisations including CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and Defence Science and Technology would be visiting schools across Australia, along with more than 50 Members of Parliament.
She said research had shown that enrolments in STEM subjects were at a 20-year low, despite projections indicating that 75 per cent of the fastest-growing occupations would require STEM skills.
“This event is about inspiring a curiosity that will encourage more students to pursue STEM as a foundation of their future,” Dr Lee-Waddell said.
“I was primary school–aged when someone first pointed the constellations out to me.”
She said all these years later she is still looking up at the night sky, only now she uses Australia’s most powerful survey radio telescope.
Dr Lee-Waddell said she wanted to show students how exciting STEM careers could be and, ideally, inspire some to follow that path.
Education and Outreach Director at CSIRO, Mary Mulcahy urged more STEM professionals to take up the challenge of engaging the next generation.
“STEM professionals can make subjects come to life by sharing their work and their excitement about what they do,” Ms Mulcahy said.
“We want teachers to be able to draw on the resources that STEM professionals can offer all year round, so we are calling for more STEM professionals and teachers to join our STEM Professionals in Schools program.”
She said the program facilitated continuing, flexible partnerships between STEM professionals and teachers that brought the Australian science curriculum to life.
