Scitech renews industry partnerships

Scitech has today renewed three partnerships with major organisations – Chevron Australia, Alcoa of Australia and Mitsui Iron Ore Development – to support delivery of its science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) programs.

Since 2013, Chevron and Scitech have delivered a range of programs including the Teacher Support Program in the West Pilbara, an ongoing Stem program for Onslow Primary School in the Pilbara, the regionally touring Beyond the Beaker careers show, and, alongside BHP and Rio Tinto, the Aboriginal Education Program.

In a new addition to the 2019-2021 partnership, Scitech’s 144-seat theatre in the City West Science Centre will now be known as the Chevron Science Theatre.

Scitech and Alcoa of Australia will continue to deliver their Alcoa Maths Enrichment Program in South West, Peel and Perth metropolitan primary schools, which connects maths concepts to real world scenarios and has been running since 2014.

The program also up-skills teachers to deliver this approach, and helps foster family appreciation of maths through events and at-home activities.

A new Alcoa Champions of Maths component will be introduced to mentor and coach select teachers to become ‘maths leaders’ in their school communities.

Also running since 2014 is the Mitsui Intensive Robotics Program, presented by Scitech and Mitsui Iron Ore Development, which is delivered to a different focus school each year, while providing continued support in subsequent years.

In 2019, the program will work with a select primary school in the Pilbara region, delivering professional development sessions for teachers, and three tiers of ongoing workshops for students in Kindergarten to year six.

The program incorporates literacy, numeracy, and information and communications technology capabilities from the Australian Curriculum, and the 2019 primary school recipient is still to be confirmed.

Scitech chief executive Deb Hancock praised the continued support of Chevron, Alcoa and Mitsui.

“Scitech’s mission to increase awareness, interest, capability and participation by all Western Australians in Stem, would not be possible without our valued partners, who support Scitech to drive targeted development of our state’s Stem capability for our future workforce requirements,” she said.

“Together, we are able to deliver engaging and inspiring Stem-skills development programs with a reach that diminishes barriers of geography, gender, socio-economics and age for all Western Australians.

“Working with Chevron Australia, Alcoa of Australia and Mitsui Iron Ore Development, we target primary and secondary students, teachers and parents from metro Perth, to the farthest regional and remote communities of WA.”