Students get hands-on with sciences

Jamie Hall, Molly Glassey, Claire Jolley & Ashley Burns about to test their bridge.

Twenty-seven students travelled from Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) to take part in the first Siemens Science Experience to be held at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) from 22 to 24 January 2008.

Students took part in hands-on activities over the three days in areas including chemistry, climate, weed management, genetics and astronomy at the University and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F).

The program aims to encourage students to explore aspects of science, engineering and technology and consider study in such areas in upper secondary school years and at university.

Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at USQ, Associate Professor Grant Daggard, said he was pleased with the response to USQ's first Siemens Science Experience.

'From the reports I've had the students seemed very happy and interested in the range of activities both here and the DPI&F,' he said.

'USQ will now run the program every year; next year we will scale it up. We are working with the DPI&F to build on the success of this year and make it bigger and better in 2009.'

Year 10 student Jamie Hall travelled more than 1700km from Richmond in the state's north to attend the program and said he would do it again.

'It was good, it was very interesting,' Jamie said.

'I enjoyed meeting new people and finding out about new and interesting things in science.'

Students were accompanied over the three days by two students from the Young Scientists' Association in Brisbane.

The Toowoomba event was the third for mentor Lucy McAuliffe who said she really enjoyed it.

'It's just so much fun. You meet so many new people each year.

'It's been really different to Brisbane. Because it is so much smaller here it is a lot more interactive. Every lecture has been interactive and all the kids want to be here and have really gotten into it.'

The program is supported by the Australian Science Teachers Association and Rotary.

District Governor for Rotary in Toowoomba Errol Wildman said Rotary was proud to support the event.

'Rotary has supported the Siemens Science Experience for many years and it is a pleasure to see students enjoying engineering and the application of science,' he said.

Photos from the event are accessible to the public via USQ photography's website http://www.usq.edu.au/dec/media/photography/

Media Contact: Jane Urquhart USQ Media +61 7 4631 2559