By Rachel Ella
National Science Week is an annual Australian celebration of science and technology featuring events hosted by schools, universities, museums and libraries, just to name a few. This year Hume Central Secondary College again hosted its Science Expo which involved year 9 students conducting an experiment in the lead up to the Expo and presenting their results to students from a local primary school and some STEM professionals. In2science was fortunate to be invited to part of the event, along with Geert Hendrix from Farmwall and a number of representatives from CSL.
Over the course of two days, In2science mentors Chi (from The University of Melbourne) and Beth (Deakin University) assisted the year 9 students with the preparation and set up of their presentations. Chi participated in judging the presentations on day one and I joined Beth to judge on day two. Chi said the students “showed clear understanding of key scientific terms such as the controlled, dependent, and independent variables, as well as the background information and explanations for the science behind their experiments.” She appreciated the importance placed on what level to pitch the presentations at and how the students communicated, identifying that both are vital yet underrated skills in the STEM field. Chi said, “The students seemed to have a lot of fun, with some proudly showing their video documentation of their experiment, as well as jokes and laughs shared between friends.”
Beth and I enjoyed meeting the students on day two and learning about their experiments, the challenges they faced, what they did to overcome them and the successes they had. Judging the students’ presentations was a great experience! There were lots of different personalities and levels of confidence throughout the groups with some showing flare and humour and others preferring to let the facts tell the story. The primary school kids had fun voting by placing a token in the box in front of their favourite group. Beth and I, along with the other STEM professionals, voted on communication, teamwork and scientific knowledge.
Congratulations to Chris Egan, Science and STEAM Leader at Hume Central Secondary College, and his team for an exceptionally well-run event. It was a fun day to be a part of and heartening to see the students’ passion for science. Well done to all the students! You all did an amazing job and a special congratulations to the winners!
If your school is interested in joining the In2science program, please click here for more information. If your school has an expo or event you would like us to attend, please reach out to our Program Manager.
