VSSEC is assisting rural and regional Victorian teachers to establish STEM Academies at their schools.
As part of the first Challenge and Enrichment Series, VSSEC offered materials to kick-start STEM Clubs. As we visited schools, participating teachers would integrate these projects into their existing classes. Over 10,000 students participated in these programs.
These academies will be the basis for a program of project-based STEM education, with regular funded visits by VSSEC staff to mentor teachers as they extend the range of projects.
We will help teachers build their skills in project-based learning, while providing well designed, proven projects, access to equipment and materials which might otherwise be a barrier. Critically, VSSEC will mentor teachers to provide assistance, guidance or just a sounding board as teachers integrate existing projects, or start to develop their own.
Currently, VSSEC has the following projects to choose from:
- Water Rockets (half-day, Years 4 to 10)
- Radio Telescope (half-day, Year 7 to 12)
- Robotic Mission to Mars (half-day, Year 7 to 10)
- VSSEC CanSat Program (full-day, Year 8 to 11)
- Optical Astronomy Nights (Evenings, minimum of 2 hours, all years)
Program timing is flexible. Often multiple projects have been delivered on the same day with multiple classes of students.
Units of work can extend into semester length projects, supported with an online learning platform: lesson plans, curriculum links, student activities, teacher notes, exemplars…
All for free.
This initiative is funded by the Victorian Government as part of the Challenge and Enrichment Series 2023 to 2025 for high ability students as identified by their school.
Available to Regional and Rural Victorian Government schools only .