Push to spark interest in science

DISCOVERY’S Girls in STEM program is underway for another year and young students from Bendigo are getting hands on with science and engineering.

Pupils from 15 schools will have a chance to explore different areas of STEM this year, including robotics, geology, circuits, chemistry, and astronomy.

General manager of Discovery, Alissa Van Soest, said it’s great to have the participants back in the centre after last year’s program couldn’t run at full capacity.

“Having all the girls back in the centre is great, this is the first session of 2022, so these girls are all just getting to know each other,” she said. “A really crucial part of keeping women in STEM is networks.

“These girls are selected because they’re interested in science, but also because they have leadership ability. The aim of this program is that these girls become leaders and role models in their community.”

Grade 6 pupils, including Ayarna from White Hills Primary School, were learning to code Sphero balls on Tuesday.

“We’re coding robots and trying to make it do certain stuff that we’re using the coding app for,” she said.

“I haven’t really been into maths, but this really excited me and I thought I’d be able to learn some new stuff from it.”

This year’s program has received support from mining company Mandalay Resources, who operate the Costerfield Mine.

The partnership has allowed the program to grow to get schools in Heathcote and Toobarac on board, and some of the company’s scientists, engineers and geologists will present to the students later in the year.

The company’s people and culture manager Nicole Sweeney said they are looking to fill in some gaps in the industry.

“Within mining, we’re experiencing significant skill shortages right now, especially in areas such as engineering and geology,” she said.

“We need to play the long game in terms of growing our further workforce and it’s investment in programs like this that really get girls to see the value of science and how exciting it is, but then to follow it up with a career.”