A groundbreaking partnership is helping to spark student interest and guide future careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools program – a national initiative that fosters partnerships between teachers and STEM experts – brings together a volunteer army of industry professionals with the aim of boosting student engagement and proficiency in these subjects.
Director of Education and Outreach at CSIRO Ruth Carr said greater connectivity with STEM industries directly can help schools in preparing job-ready graduates.
"Rapid technological advances and the ever-evolving future of STEM careers can make it difficult for the education sector to keep pace, especially when faced with additional challenges like staffing shortages, time scarcity and teaching out-of-field,” Carr told The Educator.
“Connecting directly with industry professionals who already operate and innovate in these workspaces can help fill those knowledge gaps, highlight the opportunities to be had, and offer specialised mentoring, skills or experiences for students.”
Carr said these kinds of partnerships are easily accessible through programs such as the STEM Professionals in Schools program, which is free for teachers anywhere in Australia to join, and also offers custom-matching with a STEM professional that can help meet a teachers' specific needs.
Newmarket State School teacher, Frances Roebig, was one of the educators who applied for a partnership through the CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools program after working with Origin Energy Senior Project Engineer, Allison Gwilt.
“With support from colleagues at the school, we’ve continued to work closely with Allison as the partnership has grown,” Roebig told The Educator. “Partnerships between teachers and STEM experts inspire our students to aim high in STEM fields by providing role models who work in those areas.”
Roebig said STEM Education partnerships help the school offer real-world investigative learning opportunities in STEM.
“By sourcing equipment and co-teaching lessons, these programs enhance our efforts to develop the general capabilities in science and technology within the Australian Curriculum,” she said.
“Watching our Year 3 and 5 students engage in STEM activities with Allison—like assembling solar-powered lights and learning about energy poverty in developing countries—has shown them how their learning can make a real difference.”
Roebig said she and the teaching staff at the school have noticed that since joining this STEM program, students are more eager to tackle challenges, solve problems, and work together.
Head of the Origin Energy Foundation, Michelle Zahra, said partnerships like the CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools program enable professionals and teachers to collaborate on activities such as mentoring, site visits, career talks, hands-on demonstrations and online interactions to help students prepare for their future careers.
“These efforts are important as we know they can enhance student engagement, boost teachers’ confidence and offer STEM professionals rewarding opportunities to share their knowledge,” Zahra told The Educator.
“There is strong existing evidence about the benefits of school-business partnering on student outcomes, including from our Purposeful Partnering work, which provides guidance and tools to support schools and businesses in forming mutually beneficial partnerships.”
Zahra said the program has benefits on a whole-of-school level.
“Teachers and students benefit from being able to bring the STEM curriculum to life with real-world examples, while volunteer employees report feeling energised by working with young people and inspired by their new ideas and thinking.”
President of the Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) Cresta Richardson said the union welcomes any additional STEM initiatives that help build confidence, extend capacity, and support teachers engage students in 21st century learning.
“Programs that also contain networking opportunities mean that our school leaders can tap into a valuable ongoing resource that helps maintain up-to-date professional knowledge in STEM,” Richardson told The Educator.
“Apart from dedicated STEM academies and programs, committed and qualified teachers and school leaders are delivering a range of other initiatives for Queensland students. These include the SPARQ-ed program run out of University of Queensland, a range of distance education initiatives, and a series of pilots being conducted as part of the Department of Education’s Virtual Academy project.”