South Australia’s space industry is entering an exciting period of growth and development. With real career opportunities starting to evolve for our future workforce, the South Australian Space Industry Centre is committed to encouraging young people with a passion for space to pursue their goals. Below are a range of educational resources and programs available to help inform, encourage and support the next generation of South Australian leaders.
The STARportal is Australia’s first centralised national portal for exciting and engaging STEM activities from around the country. This searchable database connects parents, students and teachers with their local and online STEM activities that inspire young people to explore, discover, and create.
The Careers with STEM hub is a student-focussed online resource promoting STEM career pathways. The website also highlights a diverse range of STEM role models as well as a variety of resources for students, parents and teachers. A full backlog of the Careers with STEM magazine are also available to read online for free.
The Robogals Science Challenge is a global online STEM competition for girls and gender diverse students aged 5 to 15. It aims to promote innovation and exploration through hands-on projects, which can be completed with a friend, parent, or mentor.
The National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Year 12 Program is a 10-day residential program designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to encourage continued studies in these fields.
Scientist for a Day challenges students in grades 5-12 to think like scientists. Examine real spacecraft images of Uranus’ moon Miranda, Neptune’s moon Triton, and Pluto’s moon Charon. Choose the destination you think would be the best place to return with another spacecraft to learn even more about these amazing worlds. Support your choice in an essay of no more than 500 words.
Story Time from Space is a project of the Global Space Education Foundation, a not-for-profit education foundation, where children’s books are sent to the International Space Station to be read by the astronauts and videoed for students and young people to enjoy.
The Re-Engineering Australia Foundation (REA) develops and runs a number of educational outreach programs that promote STEM education in primary and secondary schools. The Space in Schools program challenges students to form a virtual design company making a bid to design a Bio-Medical Space Hub, build a 3D model of their design and present their ideas to a team of industry judges.
The Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado, US is an interactive, education-focused museum that promotes science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in the context of space exploration, development and utilisation. The resource library contains a collection of free online video lessons with a focus on space, space exploration and STEM.
The South Australian Advanced Technology Program (ATP) has a purpose to help reduce skill shortages in the defence industry by increasing the pool of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educated students and informing Australia’s youth about employment opportunities and pathways into the defence industry. The ATP also runs the Schools Space Passport Program encouraging students to learn about space careers and pathways.
One Giant Leap Australia creates unique, immersive learning experiences to develop and enhance mathematical, scientific and technological literacy, as well as the critical skills of problem solving, critical analysis and creative thinking needed to thrive in the working environment now and in the future. They organisation has forged strong working relationships and partnerships to build and maintain student interest and aspiration in STEM.
