Game Changers and Change Makers
‘Game Changers and Change Makers’ is the theme for National Science Week in 2018, which runs from 11–19 August.
Established in 1997, National Science Week provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions that Australian scientists have made to the world of knowledge. This celebration aims to raise the profile and increase public understanding of science, engineering and technology, and their role in maintaining and improving our society, economy and environment.
At Wesley, we continually provide our students with opportunities to be challenged and inspired by science. However, come National Science Week, we like to turns things up a notch, celebrating all that science has to offer with workshops, events and activities.
At Elsternwick, Years 7 and 8 students started National Science Week early, with a hands-on forensic science workshop presented by Education Interactive. The workshop challenged and engaged students with a real-life murder mystery, which they had to solve using crime scene evidence and forensic investigation techniques.
At Glen Waverley, activities planned for National Science Week include: STEM enrichment incursions presented by Swinburne University’s PrimeSCI, a Reptile Encounters show on threatened and endangered species, water-rocket launching competitions, ‘break-out’ challenges, chemical reaction experiments and rubber band car races.
Glen Waverley is also fortunate to host Molecular Biologist, Upulie Divisekera, and Physicist, Explosives Engineer, Soldier, Comedian and Astronaut Candidate, Josh Richards, who will both speak at our Middle and Senior School assemblies, respectively.
At St Kilda Road, Year 7 students have been designing and 3D printing wheels as part of their MYP design studies. Students have been challenged to create balloon-powered vehicles, exploring the concepts of energy transfer, conversion and efficiency. We are very excited to see the science, design and 3D printing processes come together as they race their cars during National Science Week.
On Monday 13 August, the Wesley College Institute will host the 2018 Samuel Alexander Lecture, with an inspiring presentation from Dr Alan Finkel AO, Australia’s Chief Scientist. Dr Finkel will focus on artificial intelligence, investigating the manners and morals needed in a future where our companions might not all be human. This sold-out event is open to the public, and we look forward to hearing from one of Australia’s leading scientific minds.
Our celebration of science continues in September, when a number of Wesley Physics students will visit the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator in CERN, Switzerland. They will tour the Large Hadron Collider, and come to grips with its inner workings. CERN is the experiment Einstein could never do in order to provide evidence for his most famous equation, E = mc2. Professor Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, sums it up – ‘The project at CERN is a testament to what can be achieved in science when countries come together and pool resources and brains.’
Our future game changers and change makers will require a combination of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills to creatively solve problems, design new solutions and predict the future path of humanity. However, in the future, these skills will not be exclusive to scientists; indeed, STEM skills will become vital attributes for every future citizen to engage and thrive in our ever-advancing technological world.
STEM at Wesley hopes to immerse our students in the world of scientific discovery and innovation, inspiring the next generation of game changers and change makers. We can’t wait to see our students flourish in this ‘brave new world’!
