Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre and Raytheon Australia celebrate 10 years of partnership today by announcing a new programme to deliver classroom engineering workshops to primary school teachers.
Developed by the Museum of Science in Boston, Engineering is Elementary has been a highly successful science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative in the United States. With the support of Raytheon Australia, Questacon will deliver a pilot of the programme to Australian schools.
Engineering is Elementaryprovides teachers with a framework to deliver content aligned with the Australian Curriculum to engage students using hands-on problem solving through engineering solutions.
“Every year Questacon continues to engage, connect and inspire all Australians through interactive programmes delivered across the country. Raytheon Australia’s support will enable Questacon to deliver professional learning activities for teachers to develop hands-on STEM challenges for their students,” said Questacon Director, Professor Graham Durant.
Questacon delivered the first of the Engineering is Elementary workshops to teachers in Adelaide from 28–29 August. Teachers participated in a series of workshops where they undertook engineering activities such as tackling the process of making playdough using chemical engineering principles. Following the workshops the teachers were provided with resources and materials to implement their own Engineering is Elementary lessons in the classroom.
From supporting Questacon exhibitions across Australia, to virtually connecting students with industry experts around the world, Raytheon Australia has contributed to engaging hundreds of thousands of future leaders in STEM.
“Over the last 10 years Raytheon Australia have supported Questacon exhibitions and programmes, enabling us to connect and inspire more than 600,000 Australians with interactive STEM content,” Professor Durant said.
“As Australia’s leading systems integrator, we play a critical role in motivating young people to continue their studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Michael Ward, managing director of Raytheon Australia. “This expansion of our partnership with Questacon will help to develop the next generation of Australian engineers and ensure the nation’s future workforce has the skills they need to be successful.”
Questacon and Raytheon Australia are delighted to continue their partnership to bring this much needed engineering programme to Australia. With the support of partners such as Raytheon Australia, Questacon continues to strive towards a vision of a better future for all Australians through engagement with science, technology and innovation.
