STEM careers for seven-year-olds
STELR and the Australian Power Institute are trialing a 6-week program to introduce students in Year 2 to STEM activities and STEM careers.
Called “A Day in the Life of a Seven-Year-Old”, the 6-lesson program aims to encourage curiosity in year 2 students in all schools across Australia by providing adaptable, practical and skills-based STEM related activities within their curriculum to raise awareness around future career pathways in STEM.
The importance of early introduction of STEM activities and ongoing exposure to STEM careers is well documented:
- Ideas about science (and the notion of science as ‘interesting but not for me) are formed in primary school. Consequently, there is a strong case to be made for the value and importance of providing STEM careers awareness and support to younger children.
Woolley, M. E., R. A. Rose, D. K. Orthner, P. T. Akos, and H. Jones-Sanpei. (2013).
Advancing Academic Achievement through Career Relevance in the Middle Grades: A Longitudinal Evaluation of CareerStart. American Education Research Journal, Published, May 29, 2013
- Making engineering explicit in schools needs to be K-10 in particular as this is when STEM identities, self-efficacy in STEM are developed. As indicated from the literature early primary is important, late primary is crucial and early secondary needs to continually reinforce that girls belong and that they can see STEM in their future.
Corrigan, D.,& Aikens, K. (2019).Barriers to participation in engineering and the value of interventions to improve diversity. Draft report for the Australian Engineering Taskforce.
If you would like to find out more about the program you can go to a recording of a webinar of one of the training sessions held for the pilot schools here.
If you are interested in participating in the program please contact STELR.admin@atse.org.au