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Year 9 and 10 students from Collinsville State High rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into lasers, robots and science-powered problem-solving at a Beakers, Bots and Build (BBB) workshop today.

The workshop was delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), in partnership with Glencore Coal.

Katrina-Lee Jones, QRC Policy Director – Education, Skills and Diversity, said the workshop did more than increase the students’ science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) knowledge, it also developed critical skills like design thinking, problem-solving, adaptability and teamwork.

“Today the students got to model solving real-world challenges based on processes used in the mining industry,” Ms Jones said.

“It’s learning with purpose, generates a lot of fun and bright ideas for the future.”

The workshop activities included:

• A laser light challenge – students using mirrors and angles to guide a laser beam around obstacles.
• An extraction modelling activity – designing a tube to extract the most liquid, mirroring oil and gas extraction techniques.
• A robotic build – coding lego robots to complete tasks with maximum efficiency, just like autonomous vehicles in modern mining operations.

The Glencore Coal team was also able to share how these same technologies are used on site, giving students real insight into potential careers.

With its clever mix of creativity and context, the Beakers, Bots and Build workshop is proving to be a powerful way to light the STEM spark — one laser beam at a time.