Students dig deeper into STEM – Oakey
Students dig deeper into STEM – Oakey
Oakey State High School students had an ‘in-depth’ look at science technology engineering and maths (STEM) when the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy’s STEM Unearthed workshop returned to the classroom today.
Supported by New Hope Group, the hands-on activity enables students to explore the intricacies of starting a mine, mining coal and rehabilitating a mine site within financial and time constraints.
They also learned about the many chemical processes involved to turn ore into a usable product.
“This workshop helps students understand the importance of STEM in the resources sector, and identify pathways into professional careers into the sector,” said New Hope’s Peter Turnbull.
“We know these workshops help encourage students to continue to pursue STEM subjects into Year 11 and 12, so that they are equipped to take on further education and training for resources careers,” he said.
“Our staff always look forward to sharing their career experiences and how they transitioned from school to a resources sector pathway, even if we have to do it virtually at present.”
Oakey State High School Principal Danny Keenan said he welcomed QMEA’s return to the classroom.
“These hands-on demonstrations are invaluable in making the students’ classroom lessons come to life in real-world context and highlight the great careers that can result from STEM studies in their home town,” he said.
The QMEA is a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. It has 75 schools throughout Queensland.
QRC is the peak representative body for Queensland ‘s resource sector. The Queensland resources sector provides one in every five dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in seven Queensland jobs, supports more than 14,400 businesses and almost 1400 community organisations across the state, all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.
Media contact: Anthony Donaghy 0412 450 360
