The Year 8 STEM program is designed to inspire curiosity and develop essential skills students need for the future. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the course integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to encourage critical thinking, problem solving and digital literacy. Students engage in hands-on learning experiences, working on practical projects that challenge them to design, build, test and improve solutions to real-world problems. The course will culminate in a final product or prototype and a reflection or presentation helping students communicate their process as well as outcomes.
The program draws on industry partnerships and a curriculum that ensures learning is relevant and connected to emerging technologies and career pathways. By exploring innovative ideas and collaborating with others, students develop STEM capabilities needed to compete and adapt in a rapidly changing job market. This course also focuses on building confident and responsible users of technology, empowering students to use digital tools creatively, ethically and effectively in their learning and everyday lives.
The course will be offered as a year long course, running both semesters in Year 8. Students will attend this elective course twice per week in lieu of their Digital Technologies class in first Semester and another Technologies elective (Home Economics or Design Technologies) in the second semester.
Application Process
Students interested in being selected for entry into this course will need to complete an expression of interest form:
This form will include providing report grades for Digital Technologies, Maths and Science as well as a paragraph outlining why they would like a place in the STEM program and how they think being offered a place in the course will be beneficial to them both while at school and after. Students will also need to provide the names of two teacher referees from either Maths, Science or Digital Technologies that would be willing to act as a reference for them should it be necessary.