State Conference 2023

Congratulations to all of the students and teachers who attended the Wonder of Science State Conference! We were so excited to welcome teams from across the State with over 290 people attending the 2023 Wonder of Science State Conference at The University of Queensland including 240 in-person and an additional 57 zooming in virtually.

Students who have won Regional Conferences across Queensland presented the results of the term-long Challenge Task research projects competing to be State Champions!

Students also participated in workshops on Owl ecology, fungi and food throughout the day and participated in a speed meet session with our Flying Scientists and Young Science Ambassadors.

A special congratulations to the winning teams

Year 4:

First Place - Kimberley Park State School

Second Place - Taroom State School

Third Place - Brightwater State School

Year 5:

First Place - Taroom State School

Second Place - Stretton State College

Third Place - Hambledon State School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chinchilla

Year 6:

First Place - Kimberley Park State School and Brightwater State School

Second Place - Meandarra State School

Third Place - Mourilyan State School

Year 7:

First Place - Spinifex State College - Mount Isa

Second Place - St Mary's Catholic College

Third Place - Redlands College

Year 8:

First Place - Foxwell State Secondary College

Second Place - Rockhampton State High School

Third Place - Spinifex State College

Year 9:

First Place – Bundaberg State High School

Second Place - Stretton State College

Third Place - Foxwell State College

Congratulations to Chase from Hambledon State School and Kevin from Kimberley Park State School for receiving the STEM Excellence Award (an award for a Year 4 – 9 student who shows a great commitment to STEM).

A big thank you to Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson for providing an insightful keynote presentation for students. We loved one of your takeaways: "Most things fail in science, but that's part of the scientific process"

We were also featured on 7NEWs Toowoombah!

We are also very excited to announce that 80% of State Champions in 2023 were female! Incredible!

Thank you to our partners including Arrow Energy, Rio Tinto, Orica, GroundProbe, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Queensland Trust for Nature, Queensland Government and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering for making WoS possible.

QUT Metro Regional Conference

Thank you to all of the students who attended the special "Halloween" edition of our Metro Regional Conference on 31 October 2023 at QUT (Queensland University of Technology)!

Students presented the results of their Challenge Tasks and participated in workshops and speed-meet at scientist events.

Congratulations to the winning teams:

Year 7 - Redlands College
Year 8 - A tie! St Mary's College, Ipswich and Stretton State College
Year 9 - Stretton State College

Thank you to the QUT, Griffith University and The University of Queensland students who judged and ran workshops on the day! Our Young Science Ambassadors donned their best spooky hats for the event!

Thank you also to Perry Collier who represented one of our funding partners Rio Tinto on the day.

Wonder of Science in Cairns 2023 - Our biggest Cairns Regional Conference yet!

Last week Wonder of Science held the biggest Cairns Regional Conference ever. With over 200 people attending including 165 students from 13 schools from Cairns, Innisfail, Mourilyan, Mossman, Port Douglas and surrounding areas! Congratulations to all of the students who presented the results of their Challenge Task Projects.

Congratulations to the winning teams:

Year 4 - Mossman State School and Port Douglas State School
Year 5 - Hambledon State School
Year 6 - Mourilyan State School
Year 7 - A tie! St Mary's Catholic College and Innisfail State College
Year 8 - Peace Lutheran College
Year 9 - Redlynch State College

A special congratulations to our Cairns Distance Education Year 6 student who participated virtually in the conference, zooming in all the way from India!

Our Cairns region is supported by Rio Tinto. Thank you to Rio Tinto for their ongoing support of the program!

We are excited to confirm that we will be back in Cairns and Far North Queensland next year!

Thank you to the 16 Young Science Ambassadors from QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Griffith University, The University of Queensland who attended the conference as judges and workshop leaders. Students had the opportunity to meet these scientists and learn about their research in our speed-meet event on the day.

Thank you to James Cook University for hosting us for this event!

Students also participated in ecology and aerodynamics workshops on the day.

Sharing our YSAs’ stories

In celebration of reaching over 100,000 people since 2012, we are sharing some of our Young Science Ambassadors’ favourite moments in the program. Here are three stories written by Young Science Ambassadors about their Wonder of Science adventures! We hope you enjoy them!

David Sutton – Queensland University of Technology

A YSA since 2018, David has travelled across the state for Wonder of Science and is among our most active ambassadors. David is an experimental laser physicist researching micro-scale 3D printing of metals through light-driven chemical reactions:

David SUTTON was also the RECIPIENT OF THE GORDON DUNLOP MEDAL (CLICK HERE FOR THAT STORY)

“In 2021 I had the opportunity to visit Year 11 and 12 students in Cairns considering their path following school and into university. I was asked a question about Aerospace Engineering which is outside my field, but through working with fellow YSAs from the UQ Hypersonics group in the past, I was able to direct this student to look at UQ if she was interested in pursuing it further and she said she had no idea she could do it in Queensland. It was wonderful knowing that she had a new idea about what she could be after school just by being able to ask a fairly simple question.

When visiting students in different regions it’s always amazing to see the skills that some of these students possess that are well outside what you might expect for school students. Many Year 6 students have welded their own seismographs together in the Darling Downs for example, and students in and around Brisbane have created entire 3D modelled projects that show how a sustainable village might operate in the future to help deal with the realities of climate change.”

Tatiana Briody – The University of Queensland

A YSA since 2022, Tatiana is a PhD candidate with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland and investigates the benefits of gene editing in improving resilience to infection in cattle. Here she speaks about her favourite WoS moments, including conferences and developing a lab tour for our Gen-STEM mentoring program:

TATIANA FACILITATING THE GEN-STEM LAB TOUR AT UQ - Find out more about Mentoring Programs HERE

“Gladstone Young Science Ambassador Trip – I got the opportunity to fly to Gladstone with the Wonder of Science program as part of one of the first visits to the region since the pandemic. Many teachers were away sick, and those that were left had twice as many students to teach; and yet, they made us feel welcome and prioritised the YSA visit, ensuring all the students were able to engage with the lesson and meet us. It left me with a feeling of gratitude for our teachers and pride in the WoS program to be able to bring these experiences to regional and remote students.

Miles Regional Conference – my first trip as a YSA was to the Miles Regional Conference and it was full of excitement and colour and kids in cow onesies and I loved every part of it. I was impressed by the passion and innovation students brought to their projects, and the curiosity they had for each other’s work. In particular, the students’ questions for my own project led to me to think about the implications of my research in a different way and I left the experience reinvigorated in my work.

Gen-STEM lab tour at the University of Queensland – I had the privilege of working together with Alex and others from the 2023 Gen-STEM program to organise a tour of my own lab for our Year 7 mentees. The tour involved showing the girls where I work, the kinds of tools we use and hearing from a senior female researcher at our institute. The students got to dress up in lab coats and goggles and practice using pipettes - just like we do - giving them the chance to actually see what a career in STEM could look like for them.”

Zheng Jie Chia - The University of Queensland

New to Wonder of Science this year! Zheng is a student favourite with his Cabbage DNA workshop at Miles Regional Conference being the talk of the town. Here, he tells a story about his recent trip to Mount Isa:

“On the Mt Isa visit, I was asked how to be a chef by a secondary student. Without much thinking, I told the student that there were culinary art degrees in the universities. However, he was worried he would not have a suitable enough ATAR for university.

ZHENG AT Miles Regional Conference - full conference story here

I told him that he could start with TAFE or study another program at the university first to gain more credit to study culinary arts. Before leaving, I added, “You might change your ambition three years later. You can drive straight to Brisbane or zig-zag through your journey to somewhere you never thought before!”. I am often asked to advise students about pursuing a particular career at the tertiary level. However, it is also an opportunity to reflect on my journey to PhD study. I started with a non-science degree, working in a pharmacy for two years before going back to university again to study a biology-focused PhD; something I never planned seven years ago!

Drawing of Zheng by a Year 7 student.

After the conclusion of a Year 7 visit, I was told to wait after class by another ambassador because someone drew a portrait for me. Being a Young Science Ambassador, I visit schools to give science lessons to students. However, I also learn from students on every WoS visit. On the Mt Isa visit, I saw more than 100 Year 7 students in a week and gave multiple Year 7 lessons, but the portrait reminded me that I am new to every student and keeping an enthusiastic disposition is essential as you never know how deep the impression you give to students will be during these exciting WoS visits. See attached photo—credit to Lexi from Spinifex State College, Mt Isa.

Thank you for allowing me to visit so many great schools!”

David Sutton and ZHENG Jie Chia on a recent trip to Mount Isa.

Brightwater Regional Conference

Congratulations to all of the teams who attended our Brightwater Regional Conference on Tuesday!

Thank you to Mount Mee State School, Brightwater State School and Banksia Beach State School for joining us at the conference.

Our winning teams were:

Year 4 - Brightwater State School

Year 5 - Mount Mee State School

Year 6 - A tie! Mount Mee State School and Brightwater State School!

Students also participated in DNA and food web ecology workshops.

Special mention to the wonderful pink seismograph (final photo) from the Year 6 winning Brightwater team!

Thank you to the 14 Young Science Ambassadors from The University of Queensland, QUT (Queensland University of Technology) and Griffith University for joining us on the day.

Gen-STEM students visit UQ

Last month we hosted 15 Year 7 students who are part of our one-on-one Gen-STEM mentoring program in partnership with Foxwell State Secondary College.

Students participated in a STEM workshop, took a tour of UQ IMB and QAAFI and met their Young Science Ambassador Mentors for the first time.

In the coming weeks these Year 7 students will meet with their mentors via Teams once a week as they work on individual STEM research projects over Term 3.

Wonder of Science at World Mining Congress

This week, Wonder of Science had a space on the exhibition floor at the 26th World Mining Congress in Brisbane. Our Young Science Ambassadors were on hand to talk all things Wonder of Science. They spoke about the WONDER-ful work we are doing in the STEM education space.

We also had examples of the inquiry activities we run with students and an Australian geology quiz for congress attendees. Thank you to the organisers for inviting us to participate.

2023 school visits are underway!

Our 2023 visits are well underway. In Term 2 we are visiting Darling Downs, Ipswich and Brisbane schools. Here are some photo highlights:

• Thank you to YSAs Courtney from University of the Sunshine Coast, Mica (Maria Micaela) Fiorito from QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Sam Gayathri from Griffith University and Razib Mosaruf from The University of Queensland for visiting Years 4 – 6 students at Kimberley Park State School last Friday. Students actively explored STEM concepts ranging from material properties to sustainable electrical energy to life on Earth.

• YSAs Amy Young from QUT (Queensland University of Technology) and Gemma Laird from The University of Queensland, for also visited Stretton State College Year 8 students last week where they explored energy transfers and transformations.

• Our stellar team also made their way out to 10 schools in the Darling Downs. Pictured below, YSAs Pankaj Ram Kaushik and Nikita Rosendahl visited Miles State High School.

Kimberley Park State School

Miles State High School

Stretton State College

2022 Impact

Our 2022 annual report is now live!

Wonder of Science is continuing to foster a STEM culture in Queensland Schools. In 2022 we were excited to reach 16135 people across Queensland.

In 2023, we welcomed 141 Young Science Ambassadors (PhD students in STEM fields) to the program from our four partner universities: QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast, and The University of Queensland. This year 77% of our YSAs identify as female.

Our ambassadors are already hard at work. This term alone we have already reached over 1400 students through our Challenge Task program.

To download the 2022 Annual Report click here

STEM Girl Power!

Yesterday, showcasing the power of women in STEM, The University of Queensland YSAs Caitlin, Claire, Kathryn Dawson, Tatiana Briody and Yusra Rabbani answered engaging and thought-provoking questions from Year 10 students at a panel for the STEM Girl Power Initiative. Students learnt about the YSAs research, university pathways, finding and following your passion, and challenges faced by women in STEM fields.

Young Science Ambassadors Caitlin, Kathryn, Tatiana, Claire and Yusra

International Women's Day and an exciting announcment

Yesterday, the Wonder of Science team was invited to GroundProbe to officially celebrate International Women's Day. Manager Kaylene Cooper along with Young Science Ambassadors Vanessa Zepeda and Stacey O’Brien - discussed the benefits of implementing the WoS across Years 4 - 9 and how our program has seen success in getting girls engaged in STEM from an early age including the fact that 69% of Regional Conference winners and 71% of our State Conference winners were female as well as the ongoing success of our Gen-STEM program developed in partnership with Foxwell State Secondary College.

Thank you so much to the team at GroundProbe who held a raffle for WoS and raised over $6400 to support the program. We would like to thank GroundProbe for their ongoing support and for supporting meaningful action for women and girls in STEM.

We are pleased that the donation from their staff will provide: 1. A bursary for a female early career researcher to be a Young Science Ambassador; and access for one school to participate in the Wonder of Science Challenge Task program for a school term.

Wonder of Science 2021 YSA Celebration

Presenting our Patron, Professor Ian Frazer (AC FRCPE FRCPA FAA FTSE) at the annual WoS Ambassador Celebration Event last Wednesday evening – SO exciting to announce this and to have Caroline Frazer (UQ 2021 Alumnus of the Year) join us also!! You can see us all ‘chilled-out’ here following the evening formalities… when we also announced that the Frazer Family Foundation will support a special WoS program for underprivileged students (and their teachers) next year, AND that David Sutton, Young Science Ambassador from QUT was our first ‘Gordon Dunlop Medal’ recipient for his outstanding contribution to WoS and schools across Queensland over the past four years. There’s more to come with the WoS State Conference in late November plus a lot to look forward to at WoS in 2022, so watch this space!

The Wonder of ‘Wonder of Science’: My experience as a Young Science Ambassador

By Young Science Ambassador Amy Chan

Welcome to the first post in our Young Science Ambassador blog series! Hello readers, my name is Amy Chan. I am a PhD student at the University of Queensland and my recently submitted PhD research involves trying to unravel the mysteries of the human immune system.

I’d like to start by posing a question: what is science?

This is a question I ask my students during my first Wonder of Science visits to the schools. The answers I get are usually like, “science is about blowing things up!”, which developed in complexity by our last visit to answers like, “solving real-world problems”. And now, as I’m nearing the end of my PhD journey (hopefully), I find myself reflecting on this same question: “What is science?” When I started my PhD four years ago, I would’ve said, “research, experiments, compiling results, and presenting data”. But now, four year on, I’ve come to realise that science is so much more than that. Just like the students participating in Wonder of Science, I’ve developed a much deeper understanding of science thanks to my involvement with the program.

Amy Chan

Amy accepting her 2019 Women in Technology Life Science Young Achiever Award

Science is communication

As medical scientist, Sir. Mark Walport said, “Science is not finished until it is communicated.” In today’s political climate, I believe good science communication is more important than ever before. Though PhD students frequently give talks and write scientific papers, Wonder of Science taught me the skills to communicate to a general audience in an approachable and engaging manner. On my first school visit, I had to describe my thesis – the molecular mechanisms of non-canonical inflammasome activation – to ten year-olds. It seemed like a daunting task in the beginning, but the more I did this, the better I got! Slowly, it built my confidence to enter the 2018 Queensland Women in STEM People’s Choice award, and 2019’s Women in Technology Life Sciences Young Achiever Award. Now, I have the confidence to effectively communicate my science to people from all walks of life.

Science is community

Like many other professions, science deals with persisting problems with diversity and inclusivity. This, coupled with working long hours in a highly competitive and insulated environment, can make a PhD a very lonely journey. The Wonder of Science Ambassador program is a support network I can turn to. The Young Science Ambassadors are a diverse cohort, composed of international and domestic students from numerous backgrounds, representing people from various walks of life. Importantly, Wonder of Science provides a platform that increases the visibility of women in STEM. In fact, more than 76% of Young Science Ambassadors in 2019 were women and 82 percent of our winning teams at State Conference in 2019 were girls. Being part of this group has allowed me to connect with other research students from UQ, QUT, and Griffith university, and has helped me feel “less alone”.

Science is just appreciating the wonder

As a final year PhD who has been jaded by way too many failed experiments, I often lose sight of the “bigger picture” and am sometimes apathetic about what I do. A few months ago, I went on a Wonder of Science class visit to work with students on a project about space. I had been told that one of the students deals with learning difficulties, is generally unresponsive to prompts or questions, and does not participate in class activities. With this in mind, I started our class discussion about celestial bodies. And much to my (and the teacher’s) surprise, the students hand shot up. And up. And up again. He shared many insightful ideas and actively engaged in our lesson. This told me two things – that blackholes are very exciting… and that science can capture imagination and engagement. And it must have captured mine when I was younger. Moments like this remind me of why I started a career in science and give me the motivation to continue. This is truly the wonder of science.

My time with Wonder of Science has been an inspirational one. I’ve enjoyed great company and learning opportunities, and I’ve also come to understand what science means to me. I look forward to my future involvement, and I hope to see new students join us in the future.  

For more information about Amy and information on becoming a Young Science Ambassador – check out our Young Science Ambassador profiles here

Amy Chan and a team of Young Science Ambassadors at the 2019 Wonder of Science State Conference

Wonder of Science Makes a Mark at this year’s WiT Awards!

There was great excitement at Wonder of Science when Young Science Ambassadors, Amy Chan and Hana Starobova were announced “Co-winners” of the Life Sciences Young Achiever Award at this year’s Women in Technology (WiT) black tie event at Brisbane City Hall, 30 August. Claudia Stocks was also a finalist in this category.

Our Director, Robyn Bull was also recognised at the event with a “Highly Commended” in the Community Award for her leadership of the Young Science Ambassador program and their impact on communities across Queensland. One of our Flying Scientists, Jyotsna Batra was also a finalist in the Life Sciences Research Leader Award.

Doctors Soi Law and Jacqui Wong joined the WoS team and consultant Maria Barrret for the celebration event, along with our special guests, Belinda Bern, Director UQ Graduate School, Kym Amor, Executive Principal Foxwell State Secondary College, Joanna Osborn, QTFN Marketing & Partnerships and Kaye North, DET STEM Champion.  

Congratulations to our finalists and Awardees!

Young Science Ambassador Awards Night

Wonder of Science honoured their 2019 Young Science Ambassadors in a celebration event with drinks and canapes and lots and LOTS of great networking with the Stay n Stray activity!