Curiocity Blooms at Dalby South State School
Through the human-centred design approach of learning, a team of four Dalby South State School students created and submitted their entry ‘Curiosity Blooms’ for the 2021 CURIOCITY Brisbane Queensland Schools Challenge – and won.
In partnership with Curiocity Brisbane 2021, the World of Science Festival Brisbane (WSFB) invited Queensland primary and secondary schools to submit ‘Curiocities’ ideas for the inaugural Queensland Schools Challenge. The best six ideas – three from primary schools and three from secondary schools, won the opportunity to make and display their Curiocities during Curiocity Brisbane 12 -28 March 2021.
Gateway School, Dalby South State School, developed an innovative and interactive installation depicting a circular garden of renewable power sources and sustainability. It represented all things that encompasses the ‘STEAM ahead at South’ school-industry-community partnerships and the Western Downs region.
The WSFB define Curiocities as interactive digital and physical installations that demonstrate the intersection of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM). They are fun and engaging works to touch, see, hear, learn and wonder.
The inaugural Curiocity Brisbane Queensland Schools Challenge 2021 provided an opportunity for the Advanced Manufacturing Designathon based learning to be explored further within the STEAM Enrichment Program at Dalby South State School.
Displaying an old BMX bike and the Curiocity Brisbane Queensland Schools Challenge 2021 design brief, certainly sparked something inspirational amongst the four students selected from the STEAM Enrichment Program, Isabella, Campbell, Carys and Joseph. It kick-started the human-centred design phase of the Designathon process before any form of ideation for their 'CURIOCITY BLOOMS' installation even began.
The primary school students embraced the STEAM concept behind the Curiocity Challenge using the Designathon and engineering design processes. This included 21st century ideologies and Industry 4.0 initiatives incorporating digital design, 3D additive manufacturing and sensor technology. This ensured that traditional elements of design linked with technological pathways and perspectives that represent the Western Downs region. The student design concept CURIOCITY BLOOMS was then submitted to the Curiocity Brisbane 2021 judging panel which emulated the Designathon ‘pitch to industry’ real life experience.
Being announced as one of the six winning schools for the inaugural Curiocity Brisbane Queensland Schools Challenge 2021 enabled the students to experience the complete design to manufacturing process at a primary school level, something usually reserved for the secondary senior pathways within the Gateway Industry to Schools in Advanced Manufacturing Program.
This STEAM learning experience allowed students to be critical, creative thinkers, innovators, designers, creators, problem solvers. It provided a dynamic learning environment partnering with the Curiocity Brisbane ‘Interactive Experience Designer’ Maker, William Richardson-Davis. Our schools-industry-community partnerships promoted teamwork, empathy, communication and collaboration skills which are core facets within the learning context at Dalby South State School.
Renitta Flynn (STEAM Enrichment Teacher)
The school-industry-community STEAM partnerships for the Curiocity Blooms installation manufacturing process were instrumental. These were the Curiocity Brisbane Maker Team, Jules Mc Murtrie and partners within the Gateway to Industry Schools in Advanced Manufacturing Program, Dalby State High School Trade Futures Program, Vegepod Australia and other school-wide community partnerships affiliated with Dalby South State School.
School-industry-community partnerships for CURIOCITY BLOOMS and Curiocity Brisbane 2021 is reflective of the Schools of the Future STEM Strategy as it advocates that we must “harness the passion for change and innovation by engaging students in STEM and providing them with the opportunities they need to develop as problem solvers, critical and creative thinkers.”
State of Queensland (Department of Education and Training) 2016
It was amazing to work with students who were really receptive to the creative process, open to expanding on their ideas, exploring different technologies, and refining their designs over time. It was exciting that the student’s idea of connection to the Western Downs region also encouraged working with others in the community through various construction, coding, electronics, and conceptual design challenges, to create the final manufactured design work ready for exhibition at Southbank.
William Richardson-Davis | Curiocity ‘Interactive Experience Designer’ Maker
Curiocity has been an exciting way to learn more about electronic devices, how our STEAM design process ideas linked to our Western Downs community and how industry partners can help us.
Campbell Sutton STEAM Enrichment Student
If anyone in the Gateway Industry to Schools in Advanced Manufacturing Program would like to learn more about human-centred Designathon STEAM based learning, Dalby South State School STEAM Enrichment teacher, Renitta Flynn, will be presenting the CURIOCITY BLOOMS school-industry-community STEM partnerships journey at the;
2021 STEM Teacher Symposium: Schools of the Future:
Transforming STEM education in Queensland on the Gold Coast, 23-24 September 2021.
The STEAM ahead at SOUTH design to manufacturing learning experience for CURIOCITY BLOOMS speaks wonders for what can be achieved and that STEAM matters in how our world is ever changing, interacting and evolving.
Renitta Flynn (STEAM Enrichment Teacher)