Aspiring STEM Specialists

Develop yourself, develop your team

Aspiring STEM Specialists provides the expert guidance, collaborative network and professional learning pathway required to lift STEM capability and collaboration at your school.

• Improve pedagogical practices through strategic integration of effective STEM teaching and learning methods – including explicit instruction, inquiry learning, design thinking, critical thinking and project-based learning.
• Enhance curriculum delivery through planning that integrates/aligns STEM or STEAM learning areas (where appropriate) and the general capabilities to ensure ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ alignment of the Australian Curriculum.
• Develop expert teaching teams through a culture of continuous professional improvement and sharing of best practice within school teams and across the Aspiring STEM Specialists network.

We support your success

Aspiring STEM Specialists presents your leaders and teachers with an excellent platform for professional growth.

You can also create a school-community partnership with the IMPACT Centre and our university/industry partners.

Members include principals, school leaders and teachers from over 60 schools across all 7 regions of Queensland.

How it works

Step 1: Join via a 2-day foundational workshop.

Step 2: Implement pilot projects.

Step 3: Intentionally collaborate within your school and across the network.

Step 4: Scale up your school’s involvement and engage in action research.

Step 5: Be a STEM leader!

Target audience

Primary and secondary school educators are encouraged to join including:

• Principals
• School leaders
• Teachers.

Small schools/clusters can register one staff member.

Medium-large schools/clusters should register at least 2 members initially, with a view to growing membership across your school. We recommend that you develop a 'STEM Leadership Team’ involving representatives from senior management, middle management and the teaching staff. You can still register one staff member if desired.

Prospective members should have the mindset to lead improvement, the interpersonal skills to influence your staff and the dedication to actively participate in the network.

Foundational workshop

We are proceeding with face-to-face workshops based on the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 restrictions roadmap (PDF, 247KB).

What does membership look like?

Membership begins with a two-day foundational workshop—facilitated by STEM experts from the IMPACT Centre and Sentis Education (face-to-face format).

Content includes:

• active participation in STEM/STEAM learning experiences—used as exemplars
• analysis of effective STEM/STEAM pedagogical practices including explicit instruction and approaches to design thinking and inquiry-based learning
• an introduction to the IMPACT Learning Framework—assessed by Griffith University researchers as ‘a dynamic, valid and transferable instrument that utilises a more integrated approach to teaching and learning.'
• curriculum delivery and unit planning activities—including how to integrate STEM/STEAM curriculum and develop the Australian Curriculum general capabilities
• structured collaboration and networking with workshop participants.

Members then join the network for a minimum of 12 months and enjoy full access to:

• masterclasses delivered by STEM experts and accessible via hybrid online and face-to-face delivery—with topics including Leading pedagogical change, Action research/inquiry cycles, Emerging technologies and Systematic curriculum delivery
• online modules relating to STEM/STEAM pedagogies and curriculum delivery
• regular online collaboration with like-minded members and experts, along with Member Symposiums and other sharing opportunities.

What does membership cost?

• The membership fee is $950 per person—including participation in the foundational workshop and network membership for 12 months.
• Member subscriptions can be renewed annually at a reduced cost.
• School principals join for free—no charge for the foundational workshop and no charge to join the network for the first year (not transferable to other staff).

Note: The costs above apply to Queensland state government schools. Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS) and travel costs may be necessary to attend face-to-face workshops.