Rivers Academy of STEM Excellence wins 2022 Outstanding School Initiative Award

Twelve Lismore area schools are showing the so-called hard subjects like science and engineering can be barrels of fun in a program which has caught the eye of some of the state’s top educators.

Twelve Lismore area schools have collectively taken out a prestigious honour in the 2022 NSW Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence.

The Rivers Academy of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Excellence received the gong for ‘Outstanding School Initiative’ as a group award in Sydney.

STEM project officers for the program in Lismore, Zane Van Den Berg and Karen Ramsay, said they are proud of the communal effort that goes into the local initiative.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the 128 awards showcase schools with innovative programs for literacy, numeracy, science, student wellbeing and community partnerships.

“It is such a privilege to celebrate so many positive and diverse achievements right across the state that highlight the excellence in our public schools,” Ms Mitchell said.

At the Rivers Lismore High Campus, students from all three campuses, Kadina, Richmond River and Lismore High, ranging from Years 7 to 10 have applied to be a part of the program outside their regular study.

Kadina High School student Elanor Gibson said when the program was offered she applied out of interest.

The Rivers Academy of STEM Excellence (RASE) students from left: Sarah De Vries, Elanor Gibson, Jorja Wooldridge and Issy Paul of Kadina High School.

Teammates Sarah De Vries, Jorja Wooldridge and Issy Paul are working on a project where they want to see more girls in STEM.

“Girls are not engaging in STEM as much as we thought,” Ms Paul said.

“It starts in primary school where STEM isn’t taught in school, especially towards girls, so we figure out if we engage them in STEM in primary school they will learn that STEM is great to pursue.

“They will learn how fun it is besides learning it in high-school and thinking ‘oh I didn’t know’ or that it was boring.”

Ms Gibson said the team’s practical aspect includes conducting workshops in primary schools to get girls engaged with activities related to STEM.

The teens are building a website too.

“A website for teachers with resources on what to teach kids in STEM,” Ms Gibson said.

Ms De Vries said the website would include information about professional women in STEM.

“Stuff on girls in STEM is going to be on that website too so they can see women in the field,” Ms De Vries said.

STEM project officer and teacher Zane van den Berg said the fledgling program is unique in that it is funded mostly by the community.

“We go to the parents and students and ask them what do they want to learn,” Mr Van den Berg said, “not so much, here is what we’ve got to teach you.”

The project supports authentic collaboration between secondary and primary schools in partnership with local industry.

“Across the academy schools, we focus on design thinking, which enables students to go through a process of identifying a problem that is important to them, sometimes framed in a certain subject area,” he said.

“Then they brainstorm solutions to that problem and work their way through to develop a solution to it.”

The Rivers Academy of STEM Excellence (RASE) students from Left: Dakoda Jenkins, Finlay George, Jack Sirach and Malachi Maxwell.

Lismore High School students Dakoda Jenkins, Finlay George, Jack Sirach and Malachi Maxwell are keen to explore new things.

The boys are working up a problem of how a single mum with four kids can feed her kids and still have time on her hands.

The Rivers Academy of Stem Excellence students: Sarah De Vries, STEM project officer Karen Ramsay, Issy Paul, Chillara Ackrell, Elanor Gibson, Jorja Wooldridge, Tina Smith-Gill, Grace Simpson, Charlie Patch, Malachi Maxwell, Elliot Rooney, project officer Zane van den Berg, Caitlyn Halliday, Dakoda Jenkins, Finlay George and Jack Sirach.

Finlay said the group’s solution was to establish a local food delivery company.

“It’s a food delivery company that brings pre-made frozen meals right to your doorstep,” he said.

“It’s basically a weekly subscription and it’s called Easy Foods.

“This way she can just order that weekly with a weekly discount and it also will give her more time with her kids.”