The power of new technology and its impact on daily life and the resources industry was the focus of a workshop delivered to science-curious Moura State High School students.  

Year 8 students used their technology-savvy skills to program and operate a lego robot replicating the process of remote vehicle technology used in operating drones and other vehicles in mining operations.   

The Beakers. Bots. Build. workshop was delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) in partnership with Anglo American.  

Friday’s science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workshop followed a Treasures of the Earth workshop focused on the periodic table and the many minerals that make every day possible.  

Students learned that up to 60 minerals are used to create items they use daily like laptops and sporting equipment.  

Moura SHS acting principal, Trudy Lawson, said the QMEA workshops had given the students a practical context to their classroom studies.  

“I think the students were surprised by how many minerals were present in common objects like whitegoods and smart phones,” said Mrs Lawson.  

Kate du Preez, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Affairs at Anglo American said the company was keen to once again be involved in the workshops and help the students through the STEM challenges.  

“We enjoyed giving the students some practical understanding of how a mining operation works and link this back to the STEM challenges they were completing on the day,” said Kate.  

“Moura SHS is a big part of our community, so this was a chance to support the school and potentially inspire some of the students to pursue a career in resources.”  

Katrina-Lee Jones, Director of Skills, Education and Diversity at the Queensland Resources Council said the QMEA was committed to exciting students about STEM and trade career opportunities in the sector.  

“Workshops like these are designed to complement the Australian curriculum and layer it with local content about mining operations in the area,” said Ms Jones.  

“This creates greater meaning for the students and gives them a different perspective of the resources sector, particularly its role in providing the minerals and metals needed to create new technologies like robotics or electric vehicles,” she said.  

The QMEA is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council. It is an industry-led education initiative inspiring students to study STEM and identifying career opportunities in the resources sector.