Curious Minds brings hands-on STEM learning to more than 1,000 regional students

More than 1,000 students across regional NSW have experienced science brought to life through Curious Minds – Inspiring Regional Futures, a partnership between Home in Place’s Grow a Star initiative and the University of Newcastle SMART Program.

Funded by Port of Newcastle through its Your Port, Our Community grants program, Curious Minds was created to give young people in regional and remote communities greater access to engaging, hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning.

Following a community STEM showcase in Newcastle, the Curious Minds team took the program on the road to five public schools across Dubbo, Menindee and Broken Hill during June.

The regional roadshow reached 1,078 students and involved 19 interactive science shows and around 21 hours of STEM engagement.

Among the students who participated were 454 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, representing around 42 per cent of participants.

Home in Place coordinated Curious Minds through Grow a Star, an initiative that supports young people experiencing disadvantage to pursue opportunities in education, sport, music and the arts. In partnership with the University of Newcastle and participating schools, the team identified communities for the program and coordinated the regional roadshow.

Home in Place Events and Partnerships Manager Michelle Faithfull said taking the program directly to regional communities was an important part of its purpose.

“We heard from people during the roadshow that opportunities like this do not come their way very often,” Ms Faithfull said.

“The excitement and curiosity we saw from the students was wonderful. They were not just watching the experiments. They were asking questions, volunteering to take part and wanting to know more about science, university and where those interests could take them.

“That is exactly what Curious Minds was designed to do, giving young people an experience that sparks their curiosity and opens up possibilities they may not have considered before.”

Science brought to life

Delivered by the University of Newcastle SMART Program, the Forces in Action science shows explored concepts including gravity, motion, gases, pressure and chemical reactions through interactive demonstrations.

Students were encouraged to make predictions, ask questions and take part in experiments, including crowd favourites such as the vortex cannon and rocket launch.

The activities were designed for students from Stages 1 to 3 and aligned with the Physical World strand of the NSW Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus.

Feedback from teachers showed strong engagement, with all 58 teachers who completed a survey rating their students as either engaged or highly engaged. Eighty-three per cent rated students as highly engaged.

Teachers described the program as “highly interactive and entertaining”, “engaging” and easy for students to understand, with one simply asking, “Come back next year!”

The program also prompted students to think beyond the experiments themselves, with questions during the roadshow including, “Can you choose different science options at university?” and “How long do you need to study to be a scientist?”

Port of Newcastle Executive Manager Corporate Affairs Lucas Coleman said the organisation was proud to have supported the initiative.

“Port of Newcastle’s Your Port, Our Community grants are about backing organisations with great ideas and helping them turn those ideas into meaningful outcomes for the communities they serve.

“For Home in Place, the funding enabled Curious Minds to reach regional communities like Dubbo and Broken Hill, giving more young people access to hands-on STEM learning they may not otherwise have experienced.

“We’re incredibly proud to have helped bring this program to life. Seeing curiosity sparked in more than 1,000 students is a powerful example of the difference our community grants can make.”