Nurturing Brilliance: STEM education for First Nations students
Learning is lifelong. So, let’s help spark an interest in First Nations students looking to take their first (or next) step.
How can we support high school teachers to prepare First Nations students for careers in STEM? In a nation as diverse as Australia, educational disparities persist. And, as the needs of students and schools evolve, how can we ensure that learning outcomes can be strengthened for all?
Cultivating curiosity and creativity in First Nations students
Right now, educators and schools across the country are focused on ensuring that students are equipped with the STEM skills Australia’s workforce needs today, and in the future. But to build a stronger foundation for better education, employment, and social outcomes for First Nations students, the range of pathways to STEM needs to be increased.
Which is why INCO Academy Australia is excited to announce its free Enter Tech program, which aims to:
- Provide equality of educational opportunity for First Nations students
- Encourage greater diversity in STEM education; and
- Build a stronger community sector through initiatives including training and development.
Practical skills for future opportunities.
But what does this mean in practical terms? For students, Enter Tech is a hands-on learning journey with three clear objectives: Theory, Practical, and Production. The immersive, online approach doesn’t just teach; it instils an understanding of how tech works, how it’s applied, and the opportunities available through post-school employment, tertiary and TAFE pathways.
And for teachers? The confidence to deliver STEM education catered specifically to ways of learning familiar to First Nations communities. Co-designed in consultation with 8ways, an Aboriginal pedagogical framework centering Aboriginal perspectives, the world of Enter Tech is delivered alongside a First Nations avatar as their guide with storytelling at its heart.
It’s a learning experience with flexible delivery options. Whether in the classroom or at home, teachers and their students are able to explore areas of STEM including app and software development, artificial intelligence, cyber security and more.
Tackling big issues together.
Using education to break the cycle of disadvantage has never been more important. And to support First Nations students in the ever-evolving tech landscape, we must work together. Which is why collaboration between schools, Indigenous-led non-profits as well as institutions working in direct partnership with First Nations communities was built into the delivery of the program.
This is why we’re excited to work directly with you, to provide a robust STEM foundation that builds on the work teachers do to cultivate students to nurture future First Nations innovators and thinkers with a curiosity and creativity that extends beyond today.
Enter Tech isn’t just about education; it’s about empowerment, identity, and a collective commitment to a brighter, more equitable tomorrow.
Enter Tech will be available from February 2023.
For educators interested in accessing our free Enter Tech program, visit INCO Academy Australia to learn more.
I am a STEAM and Diversity Teacher in NZ and Australia. I actually teach diverse students in New Zealand and Australian classrooms.
I was invited by the Shanghai Normal University / Teacher Education Centre of UNESCO in China to participate in a 2 week long STEM Education conference along with 20 other STEAM researchers.
We were taken to many schools and classroom in Shanghai and Chengdu.
There still exists a wide polarity among urban and rural schools. Indigenous communities are still many steps behind when compared with Shanghai or Chengdu or Ningbo schools. These schools are flooded with resources but many teachers are half confused about STEM teaching.
In New Zealand we teach Maori and Pacifika learners with Tukana Teina and Te Kotahitanga model.
It has been very successful and worth trying with tour first nation people. I mentioned the same to the Chinese principals and Education authorities as well Teacher trainers during the conference interactions. I also demonstrated how to make low cost and non threatening simple projects to entice rural teachers. Please contact me for deeper conversations.
First Nation people will love Tuakan Teina model ( NZ ) because this is what they do in their everyday life.