The humble paper plane became a vehicle for an interactive workshop exploring physics and aerodynamics for students at Mount Isa schools.

The Year 7 and 8 students from Spinifex State College and Good Shepherd Catholic College took a deep dive into the Physics of Flight workshop delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

The students explored the design variables impacting the effectiveness of flight and applied this knowledge to create their own paper planes under the supervision of industry experts from Glencore Mount Isa Mines who sponsored the workshop.

Spinifex State College principal Rob Slater said the students had fully immersed themselves into challenge and were more than a little competitive when it came to the final races.

“Building the best paper airplane may sound simple, but the teams knew they had to apply the laws of physics and design to create a plane that had the best aerodynamics to win,” said Mr Slater.

“The workshop was a fun way to apply the scientific concepts they had studied in the classroom to a real experience.”

Fiona Pascoe, Manager Human Resources, and Training at Glencore Mount Isa Mines said the workshop was a great opportunity to showcase how physics is used across the minerals and energy sector.

“Physics forms the basis of many activities on site including engineering, exploration and drone applications,” said Ms Pascoe.

“The workshop gave us a chance to chat to the students about how studying physics and other STEM subjects is foundational if they are keen to follow a career in the resources sector.”

I was impressed with their innovative minds and how they worked together as a team to create their plane design and solve problems.”

The students will also participate in another workshop, focusing on water management and treatment in the minerals and energy sector.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones, said the QMEA had developed a range of workshops to complement the Australian curriculum and connect students to potential career opportunities in the resources sector.

“The aim is to engage the students in the study of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and open doors about potential career pathways into the sector after school.”