Grant applications were opened to any organisation wishing to host a STEM event for regional and remote communities across Western Australia in 2022. Funding was awarded to those applicants that presented novel event ideas that created future STEM engagement opportunities.
Engineers Without Borders: Youth Outreach Regioneering Program
In June an Engineers Without Borders team of volunteers will deliver engineering workshops, focusing on how and why engineers should create solutions that take into account social, cultural and environmental contexts. Students will be given the the opportunity to solve a real-world problem by developing a concept and building a prototype. Workshops will be delivered to 20 schools in the South West region of WA.
The Geraldton Toy Library: STEM Backpacks Launch Day
Families from the Mid West region will be invited to a launch day playdate in May for Geraldton's toy library's lastest project, STEM backpacks. The funding will be used to purchase STEM themed toys and develop learning resources. The resources will be packed into eight take-home backpacks, along with educational cards, to facilitate home-based learning for families, allowing them to continue their science discovery.
Edith Cowan University: Making Things Work Together
Girls from regional schools will be invited to participate in programming & robotics workshops at ECU's Joodnalup campus during the Aril, July and September school holiday's. The students will be provided with tools, including an instructional video, to take their newly learnt knowledge back to their schools, allowing them to share the knowledge with their peers.
Scinapse - Mid West Science Engagement: Wild Food Expo
Held in Geraldton, Scinapse will partner with The Geraldton Project, Wild Woman Wendy, and many others to coordinate a day filled with presentations, tastings, workshops and foraging opportunities for wild food in the local area.
Children's University WA Partnership: STEM Out of the Box
Regional families will be provided with STEM kits filled with three hands-on STEM activities to explore at home in their own time. Families will be invited to participate in a workshop via Zoom, presented by the Children’s University WA Partnership – Edith Cowan University and The University of Western Australia.
Western Australia Museum of the Great Southern: Fossil Hunters
Located in Albany, the WAM of the Great Sothern will be bringing prehistoric creatures to life through hands on workshops and demonstrations during the September school holidays. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about, and put into practice, the science of fossil discovery.
Hopetoun Community Resource Centre: Biosphere Discovery Excursion
Located in WA's only biosphere reserve, Hopetoun CRC understand the importance of the Fitzgerald River National Park. They received an Inspiring WA grant in 2021 to run their environmental workshops, raising awareness about the parks significance and why it's a UNESCO listed reserve. Their excursion was in such high demand that they've brought it back again, this year the excursion will be run twice, once for children and once exclusively for adults.
Australian Science Communicators - WA: Communicate to Inspire Conference
Every year the ASC WA branch bring together Science Communicators from across the state to share their knowledge and provide networking opportunities. If there's any knowledge to share this year, it's that the best events are hybrid. Through the Inspiring Australia funding ASC will livestream the conference across the state, allowing participants to dial in, no matter where they're from. ASC will partner with Inspiring WA's network of regional hubs to provide free access to the hub's networks.
Tambellup Community Resource Centre: Stargazing Night
If there's anywhere to view the night sky from, it's regional WA. Tambellup CRC have been awarded funding to purchase a telescope for their center. To celebrate they'll be holding a Stargazing Night in November where Gravity Discovery Centre and traditional custodians of the land will held the community explore the night sky.
The Innovators' Tea Party: Inspire in 5 and Speed Networking
The Innovator's Tea Party, a volunteer-run organisation empowering young women to pursue career's in STEM by linking them with successful women in STEM will use their funding to deliver two events in Busselton. Inspire in 5 will see six STEM professionals contribute to a panel discussion and Q&A for high-school students, their career's and educators on careers STEM. Speed networking will provide an opportunity for Year 11 and 12 students to have conversations with mentors.
