2023 Griffith University STEM Ambassadors

On the 22 March, five Year 10 students from the Science Committee (Jolina Zhang, Ava Henson, Noa Chester-Haviv, and Nadia Wu and myself) participated in the 2023 Griffith STEM Ambassador Conference held in Brisbane. Due to limited seats, Luke Oishi who is also an ambassador was not able to join us. It was an amazing opportunity to receive leadership training and to develop an action plan for the school’s STEM community. The exciting day began in the Brisbane Convention Centre where we listened to another school showcase activities that they have done to develop the STEM field at their school. We gained huge inspiration from the unique and clever ideas, and they helped guide our STEM agenda for the College in 2023.

The engaging and informative introduction to the STEM conference was followed by a quick morning tea, and then we were straight back into action with a leadership workshop starring Dr Bridie Schultz, the founder of Sativus, a company made to assist those who create, manage, and invest in science with the skills and support needed to launch science careers. Dr Schultz provided us with extremely wise and useful information on the importance of communicating with impact. Using this new information, we were able to work collaboratively to develop a realistic and achievable action plan for our school’s STEM movement. It was a fantastic opportunity to spark our creativity and critical thinking skills.

After an intense period of strategic planning, we walked over to QPAC while enjoying the nice weather to view an ecological extravaganza. A trio of Griffith University STEM experts showcased the living systems around us and the interactions that drive them. It was an entertaining experience where we gained an insight into biological systems, and evolutionary change through interactive demonstrations. Overall, the 2023 STEM Ambassador Conference was an extremely helpful, opportunistic, and insightful event for the Year 10 Griffith STEM Ambassadors, and the College’s STEM community.