About

Starting in STEM is a free workshop designed to equip educators with the confidence, frameworks, and practical tools to build inquiry-based learning experiences for their students, grounded in local context.  

Through the lens of the design thinking process, participants will explore how to plan and create contextualised, project-based inquiries that spark empathy, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation, through connecting directly to their school and community. The workshop will also support educators to develop strategies for explicitly teaching learner dispositions, STEM content and skills, and adapting inquiry-based learning to meet the needs of their students. 

Specifically developed to add value to existing programs, themes, and learning units, this workshop will give you the skills to create curriculum-linked, scaffolded projects based on existing programs (including Learning on Country). Educators will gain confidence in designing and delivering inquiry-based projects in their classroom, with practical tools and resources for curriculum alignment, linking to literacy, brainstorming, and prototyping.  

Workshop details

Workshop times 

Questacon will deliver two workshop sessions on Monday, 10 August 2026 - one session during school hours, and another session after school. To ensure flexibility to suit attendees needs, these times have not been locked in yet. Once registered, you will be contacted to confirm which workshop time suits you best.  

Location 

The workshop will be delivered in-person in Nhulunbuy. The location is still flexible and may be delivered at a Questacon-organised venue in Nhulunbuy (i.e. potentially Rotary House) hosted by a local school, based on the needs of those who register. If your school would like to host the workshop, Questacon can come to your school to deliver the session, provided you are open to other educators attending.  

Once registered, you will be contacted to confirm what location would suit you best. 

For more information, please contact Questacon Regional Leader, Luke Steller, at luke.steller@questacon.edu.au.