Building a love of science

Questacon’s Find Your Science Hero project is building a love of science among young Indigenous students.

Developed in 2012 by the Questacon ScienceLines Indigenous Outreach Program, Find Your Science Hero was recently featured in the Closing the Gap: Prime Minister’s Report 2013.

After experiencing the Find Your Science Hero project, 16 Year 5 and 6 Canberra students had a very different view of science.

“I thought science was for nerds and was all about experiments,” one student said before the project.

After writing a presentation on her science hero, her grandfather, who she chose for his knowledge of the seasons and a passion for vegetable growing, she realised science was about, “a whole lot of other stuff like gardening and mechanics”.

“You can learn a lot when you are doing science,” she said.

Another student’s hero was her brother, who builds intricate technical structures with Lego.

“Now I know science is a thing that you do on an everyday basis and I’ve learnt that science doesn’t have to be boring, it can be fun,” she said.

The Find Your Science Hero project was developed by ScienceLines in response to lower levels of engagement with the sciences among young Indigenous students.

The project challenged the students’ notions about what science is, and who uses science. With the help of the ScienceLines team, students made a personal connection to science by identifying a science hero from within their own family or community.

“By showing them that people they know and admire use science every day, we are encouraging students to think differently about what science is and to see it as an area they can engage with,” ScienceLines operations manager Mia Thurgate said.

The Find Your Science Hero project was developed to complement and work with the ACT Department of Education and Training Indigenous Student Aspirations program.

The Indigenous Student Aspirations program began in Canberra in 2009 and supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students who demonstrate current or future potential to succeed at tertiary level education and training.