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What better way to celebrate Science Week, then by bringing our whole community together for an evening with WA’s Chief Scientist! 

Thanks to our dedicated and passionate Carramar Science department, led by Mrs Liz Kirby, parents and students interested in Science and careers in STEM from both campuses, were treated to an evening of presentations and interactive activities in our 2024 Science Showcase.  

The keynote speaker for the evening was Professor Peter Klinken, Chief Scientist for Western Australia who presented an overview of some of the many STEM projects that are currently underway in Western Australia in fields such as cosmology. 

“Professor Klinken spoke about projects including the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope which is a global collaborative project receiving information from the cosmos in radio frequencies,” said Liz.  

“He also spoke about how well-placed WA is in alternative energy innovations, with pioneer work being undertaken in lithium battery manufacture and green hydrogen fuel prospecting.” 

Professor Klinken went on to share his vision for the future of Western Australia in terms of growth industries such as robotics, data processing and management and alternative energy innovation.  

“This will hopefully help inform young people as to why they should study Science and other STEM subjects in secondary school,” continued Liz. 

After a short Q and A session and some light refreshments, our guests visited three venues around the school to hear from other presenters and engage in some interactive experiences.  

In a workshop called “Citizen Scientists – What are they? What do they do and How do I become one?”, Carramar Science teachers, Mrs Rachel Smoker and Mrs Michelle Minchin, spoke of the important role that citizen scientists play in making observations and recording data for an enormous range of scientific research projects.  

They referenced many examples of projects running in WA that rely on the voluntary input from citizen scientists and the difference that this data makes to supporting the great work that many scientists are doing especially in areas of conservation. Students were encouraged to find a project that they were passionate about, download the app for that project and get involved! 

Students and parents then had a wonderful time interacting with a variety of lizards, snakes and other reptiles, in an exciting presentation by AnimalArk. The presenters spoke about the amazing biology of reptiles, as well as their importance to ecosystems and how vulnerable they are to extinction because of habit loss, feral animal predators as well as the illegal trade in reptiles out of Australia. 

The third workshop provided an opportunity for students to become familiar with some of the many apps that exist to support students engage with learning Science through the use of 3D augmented reality models. As young people are more and more engaged with a digital world, the use of AI and augmented reality is here to stay and can play a valuable role in teaching and learning. 

The Science Showcase event was a most enjoyable evening for all our students, parents and teachers. We are grateful to the Carramar Science staff and everyone who worked to make the evening such a success. 

With thanks to CSmith Photography for these fantastic images of the Science Showcase.