Wow, what a day! Our Girls in Tech Expo on Thursday was an inspiring and highly engaging experience for everyone involved. Now in its seventh year, this event continues to ignite excitement and curiosity, challenge stereotypes and provide valuable insights into the ever-expanding career opportunities in STEM.
Through immersive workshops, presentations, exhibits, and hands-on activities in our Innovation Hub, our Year 5 and 6 girls, along with students from seven surrounding primary schools, explored how STEM is shaping the future.
We warmly thank our guest speaker, Jennie Zeiher, President of Rising Sun Pictures, for opening the Expo with an inspiring talk on the magic of special effects in movies and TV shows like Loki, Ford v Ferrari, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. A true leader in her field, Jennie shared how she combines her business expertise with a passion for visual effects, to guide artists across Australia and encourage the next generation to explore creative technology.
The breadth of experiences enjoyed on the day was truly remarkable and included:
- Creative Technology Fusion where students engaged in artistic digital machine learning with Rising Sun Pictures and Creart VR. They also coded pixel art masterpieces with Women in Creative Technologies and designed laser-cut necklaces, blending engineering with artistry.
- Racing simulators, interactive model submarines, fascinating demonstrations of automation in mining, and a sustainability innovation challenge focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Digital Security & Engineering: Cybersecurity experts from AISA, CyberCX, and Flinders University unlocked the secrets of digital safety and ethical hacking, while robotics came to life through AI Camp, Modern Teaching Aids, STEM Punks, and KIK Innovation.
- Beyond traditional technology: TAFE showcased the science behind food technology, while Sturt Football Club introduced sports science through data interpretation and performance analysis—demonstrating that STEM isn’t just about robots and code, but about problem-solving across all industries.
Furthermore, the Innovation Hub featured the Big Sister Future Me interactive zone, where students engaged with cutting-edge technology. They also participated in eSports activities with the APEX Club and explored the latest tech hardware from Centre Com. Hands-on experiences included working with robotics, artificial intelligence, coding, and immersive virtual and augmented reality technology, among other exciting innovations.
A huge thank you to Melissa Lee, our STEM Innovation Leader, for organising this spectacular day, and to the many staff members across the School who also contributed and made this event possible. We are also deeply grateful to the industry experts and organisations who generously shared their time, knowledge, and cutting-edge resources. The real-world applications demonstrated throughout the day left students buzzing with excitement, inspiration, and new ideas for the future.
