Big STEM Day challenges and inspires next-gen engineers
Emerging engineers at Moranbah State High produced pulley systems, programmed roaming robots and completed a design challenge as part of the Big STEM Day today.
Over 120 Year 8 students participated in the full-day event rotating through activities delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) with the support of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).
School principal, Michelle Pole, said the Big STEM Day gave the students an introduction to a range of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activities in a fun setting.
“The students worked in groups to complete each of the activities throughout the day and there were points awarded at the end of each round,” said Ms Pole.
“They are competitive, so the team challenge gave them plenty of incentive to be creative and collaborate to solve problems,” she said.
Mick Thomas, General Manager of BMA’s Peak Downs Mine, said BMA was proud to sponsor the Big STEM Day again after it had been successfully introduced last year.
“There is a great community here in Moranbah and we are keen to get involved in activities which benefit the school and students,” he said.
“Four of our team members helped facilitate the day and were able to provide some real-life context for how these STEM activities reflected in a larger scale on site – like the use of pulley systems to move large loads and robotics to remotely control vehicles and equipment.”
Katrina-Lee Jones, Director of Skills, Education and Diversity for the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) said the STEM activities had been specifically selected to complement the Australian curriculum and reflect local operations at BMA.
“Days like these have been designed to excite students about studying STEM and create greater understanding of how these subjects apply to solving problems in the real world,” said Ms Jones.
The QMEA is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council and partners with industry and government to show school students how studying STEM and trades can open up a world of career opportunities in the resources sector.