Uni STEM Camp for Ebony, Harmony & Madi

In Week 10 of Term 3, Year 9 students Ebony Rigney, Harmony Miller and Madi Gotch attended the Ingkarni Wardli Technologies Camp run by the University of Adelaide, accompanied by staff members Miss Stephanie Sinclair and Miss Courtney Richter.

Over the course of the week, these three students joined seventeen others from around South Australia and Queensland schools; together they experienced activities run by scientists at the university with a particular focus in the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientists and entrepreneurs in the workplace. They learnt about the incredible support the Wirltu Yarlu Centre offers for students at the university, and the beautiful traditions and customs upheld by the staff and students there.

Tuesday saw the students completing biological activities such as looking at germ theory, gram staining and looking at animal behaviour science. The students also ventured to the Australian Space Discovery Centre where they participated in a rocket building competition, and ended their night at Boeing using the flight simulators and learning about potential career paths.

Wednesday comprised of Madi’s favourite activity – programming robots to complete basic tasks and ultimately partake in a dance off. The staff and students alike climbed the Adelaide Oval that afternoon, facing fears, seeing the sights, and watching the cricket pitch be moved onto the oval below.

Our last day on Thursday had students meeting Corey Tutt, the creator of ‘Deadly Science’, who ran the students through an engaging entrepreneurship session, praising the students on their incredible business ventures. Madi and her group created an inviting and cozy bookstore/coffee shop themed around novels, and Harry and Ebony’s group worked to create an art business that was creative and thoughtful. The students ended their week at the Adelaide Zoo for a graduation dinner, receiving certificates and thanks.

The week saw all three of our PLHS students branching out and making new friends and connections, learning incredible things, and making the school (and us as staff) very proud. Amazing work, girls; we can’t wait to see where you go from here!

~ Miss Stephanie Sinclair (Accompanying Teacher)